A MAN who displayed Nazi swastikas from his Ellesmere Port home has been fined at Chester Magistrates Court.

The man, listed on court records as Andrew Jones but who prefers to go by the name of Poppy Gerrard, pleaded guilty to displaying a sign likely to cause alarm or distress from his Sutton Way, Great Sutton address.

Chester Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday, February 20 that police officers saw a post put up on Ellesmere Port Facebook group Pride in the Port, and made their way to that address as a result, where they found one large Nazi flag and two smaller ones on display.

Prosecuting, Scott Woodward said Gerrard, 47, was arrested on January 24.

He had six previous convictions for eight offences.

Defending, Selina Woodward said Gerrard had depression, anxiety and autism, and he had become "obsessed" with the Second World War and Nazi Germany.

He "strongly denied" he had any supportive views of white supremacy or Nazi Germany.

The court heard work was being done at the flat and had damaged some privacy screens on the windows, which had created 'zig zags'. Gerrard "realised he had drawn a swastika" and Googled to check if it was an offence to display it, and concluded it was not.

"Obviously he understands it is now," Ms Woodward told the court, adding people were "obviously upset" at seeing the imagery.

Magistrates fined Gerrard £120 and ordered him to pay £120 court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.