OUTSPOKEN preacher John Holme left court unrepentant last week after being convicted by magistrates for parading a controversial sign.

Holme (46), of Ayrshire Close, Fugglestone Red, said he would lodge an appeal after he received a six-month conditional discharge at Salisbury Magistrates' Court.

He was also ordered to pay £546 costs and told to take down the sign.

The former navy man, who is standing as an independent parliamentary candidate for Salisbury, had driven round the city on August 1 last year with the hoarding saying, "God says that if you reject him you may become homosexual" and preaching through a loud speaker.

He was warned by one officer to take the sign down because, he said, members of the gay community could find it offensive.

But 20 minutes later, Holme was spotted again and arrested for contravening Section 5 of the Public Order Act for displaying a sign that was threatening, abusive or insulting and likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Before his arrest, the evangelist had received an e-mail from neighbour Sarah Carthy complaining about the wording- which he claims is his spin on the Bible's Romans, Chapter 1, and aimed at heterosexual people.

Anwen Walker, prosecuting, said: "You knew full well when you set out that morning that it was upsetting people.

"You were victimising homosexuals because you were selecting them out of a list of possibilities.

"That sign is your interpretation - it is not what the gospel says."

Holme, a pastor at the Lighthouse independent church, Bemerton Heath, admitted in court to finding homosexual acts "a perversion" and homosexual people perverted.

The married father-of-two was fined £1,050 by the Civil Aviation Authority in 1998 for flying his microlight too close to houses in the city while preaching, earning him the title 'the flying preacher'.

Holme, who repeatedly quoted from the Bible while giving evidence, said: "I fail to see the sign is threatening, abusive or insulting because it's a statement of opinion.

"I don't threaten people - it's warning them, saying if you do not wish to become homosexual then don't reject God."

Chairman of the bench Trevor Gilbert said: "We accept the argument that you, Mr Holme, have the right to preach.

"But, in our opinion, your conduct was unreasonable and the message on the hoarding was inflammatory and insulting, and could cause distress to the public, and for that reason we have found you guilty."

Speaking after the case, Christian Lange, Wiltshire police community safety inspector, said: "The police have a duty to take action when they receive complaints of behaviour that cause distress, and in this case plenty of warning was given. This case has caused distress to people in the community and I'm happy to see that the magistrates have taken that into account when coming to their decision."

Gary Jefferson, manager of Gay Men's Health Wiltshire and Swindon, said: "I'm very pleased with the verdict. It shows that homophobia and prejudice is unacceptable whatever you use. It's important that we send a message out that prejudice is unacceptable."