A PROTESTER who threatened to leap from the Cooper Dean flyover on the last day of the Bournemouth Air Festival has been warned that he faces prison.

Martin Cuff, of Eldon Place in Bournemouth, dressed in a Spider-Man costume and draped a banner which read ‘4 Fathers There Is No Justice’ over the barrier.

The Wessex Way was closed southbound for more than two-and-a-half hours during the incident, which took place on September 1 2013.

Motorists travelling northbound were also affected.

Almost a year after his first appearance at Bournemouth Crown Court, the 33-year-old admitted causing a public nuisance on the first day of a planned trial.

Tim Moores, prosecuting, said that Cuff had handed in a basis of plea, but he explained that it was “essentially one of mitigation”.

He said: “The defendant implies that he was not particularly aware it was Bournemouth Air Festival on that day.

“It doesn’t seem to us to make a great deal of difference,” he added.

“He was certainly made aware of it in conversation with police officers and acknowledged it.”

Mr Moores continued: “He came down because he realised the amount of disruption he was causing by that stage.”

Judge John Harrow ordered a pre-sentenced report to be prepared ahead of the sentence in March.

However, he warned Cuff that the report is no indication of the sentence he could receive.

“This is a serious offence,” he said.

“The first consideration has to be a prison sentence.”

Judge Harrow said that Cuff needs to be “open and frank” with the Probation Service when the report is written.

“I can’t make any promises to you about what the sentence will be,” he added.

Cuff, who wore a suit to his court appearance, is on unconditional bail. He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge made against him.