Cops seal off Da Vinci Code rapist’s house

Robert Greens’ cottage on the outskirts of Bonnyrigg was splattered with white paint as the furious mob continued to campaign for his removal.

Police shut off the road as part of a clampdown on motorists, after it emerged some drivers had been cautioned over honking their horns in support of the upset residents.

Teenager John Byrn, from Gorebridge, said he was pulled over by officers, who warned he would be fined if he repeated the act.

The 17-year-old said: “I honked in support and the police pulled me in and asked if I knew why they’d stopped me. I said that I didn’t and they said it was for inappropriate use of my horn.

“The policeman then warned me that I faced a £60 fine if they caught me doing it again.

“All I was doing was supporting the folk out protesting. It’s way over the top.”

Police took the decision to close the B704 road between Cockpen Road and the A7 shortly before 7pm last night, with motorists facing a four-mile diversion.

Neighbours David Smith and Caitlyn Nelson, who previously told the News they had asked to be rehoused by Midlothian Council, said they had now handed the authority their notice to quit.

Mr Smith, 21, said: “I can’t believe they’ve closed the road just for him. The house is now totally ringfenced with barriers and we’re all cut off.

“We’ve had this now for four nights on the trot so we handed in our notice, enough is enough. I wouldn’t want to live here beside him anyway.”

Two people were arrested for alleged breach of the peace offences on Wednesday night, as police appealed for calm.

Superintendent Liz McAinsh said: “We recognise and understand the strong feelings that exist among people in Midlothian regarding Robert Greens, however we would urge people to remain calm.

“Demonstrations require a level of policing that takes resources away from other areas, and inhibits the police’s ability to respond effectively to other incidents in the community, which may themselves require significant numbers of officers.”

Greens’ new home is just six miles from Rosslyn Chapel, where he brutally raped a 19-year-old Dutch student in 2005. He was jailed for ten years after what a judge described as “one of the worst cases of rape” ever dealt with at the High Court.

A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “Police were in attendance to facilitate a protest in Midlothian on Wednesday evening. A 34-year-old male and 40-year-old female have been arrested and charged for alleged breaches of the peace and will appear at court at a later date.”