A Fenland councillor and former Wisbech mayor pleaded not guilty when he appeared on a firearms charge at Cambridge Crown Court.

Jonathan Farmer, 56, made a brief appearance in the dock at Cambridge yesterday to answer one charge under the 1968 Firearms Act.

He is charged with possessing a Walther PPP hand gun which had a barrel less than 12 inches in length.

Farmer appeared before Mr Justice Hawkesworth and was represented by Stephen Harvey, QC.

A trial – expected to last two days- was fixed for July 10 but the judge said the date could be altered if expert witnesses were unavailable at that time.

Farmer was arrested at his South Brink, Wisbech, home during an early morning police raid in January.

He remains a member of both Wisbech Town Council and Fenland District Council although he has been suspended from the Conservative group on both and currently sits as an independent member.