THE four women who caused £1.7million damage to a Hawk jet did not deny they had smashed up the plane's instruments and attacked the cockpit, fuselage, wing and nose.

But their defence - more usually put forward in cases such as committing an assault to stop a burglary - was that they had a lawful excuse for the attack. They believed the plane was being sold to Indonesia, allegedly for use in suppressing the civilians of East Timor.

The Liverpool jury accepted their defence and found them not guilty.

It's a verdict which worries Labour MP Bruce George, a member of the defence select committee. He is concerned, like us, that this will give people carte blanche to destroy anything they do not like and get away with it. We agree with him that these women should have found a legitimate way of airing their grievances.

And let's not forget British Aerospace insist they have no evidence that Hawk aircraft are used in a manner contrary to assurances provided by the Indonesian government to the British government.

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