A pensioner has sparked anger among his neighbours after piling a huge collection of broken bicycles outside his home. David Watts, 73, has been running a repair business from his house in Maidstone, Kent since 1971 but now admits his hoard has got out of hand. He collects bikes quicker than he can mend or sell them and scores of them are heaped in his garden which some neighbours say has become an eyesore. Pensioner David Watts has sparked anger among his neighbours after piling hundreds of rusting bicycles outside his home in Maidstone, Kent. He admits his collection has got out of hand. Fed-up neighbours have complained to the council but the authority has told them there is nothing they can do as Mr Watts (pictured) is officially licensed as a second-hand trader. Eyesore: Maidstone Borough Council's parking department said they were powerless to act as the trailers full of bicycles are not attached to vehicles. Mr Watts has so many bikes that his collection has spilled out into the road where two large trailers are also filled with them. Fed-up neighbours have complained to the council but the authority has told them there is nothing they can do as Mr Watts is officially licensed as a second-hand trader. They add that his trailers are not in breach of parking regulations because they are not attached to vehicles. But officials have promised to look again at the case after more complaints from people living nearby. One resident said: 'When David ran the scrap business from the same address I had no problem with it, but this has escalated now. 'He has more bikes than a cycle shop and it's getting to be a bit of an eyesore.' The former driving instructor insists that it is 'just a hobby that has got out of hand'. Mr Watts has so many bikes that his collection has spilled out into the road where two large trailers are also filled with them (pictured). He insists he repairs the bikes and that the collection is not for scrap metal. Piled high: Council officials have promised to look again at the case after received more complaints from people living nearby. 'I repair neighbours' bikes - if they bring one round I'll fix it for them,' he said. 'It's a bit untidy but I can't help that, I'm an untidy person. I need something to do in my old age.' Despite being dubbed 'Scrap Metal Dave' by some neighbours, Mr Watts said he does not sell the bikes for scrap metal. He claims he makes 'around £50-a-week' selling them to locals which helps provide extra income for him and his disabled wife Maureen. He said: 'People have a problem because they don't like my trailers being parked in the public parking bays but I'm not breaking the law. 'My wife isn't happy about the whole thing and she has banned me from keeping them indoors. 'But it is a little bit of extra money that helps us to tick by.' Mr Watts, a grandfather-of-four, insists his bikes are not scrap and will be sold, repaired or used for parts. But he admits he has been overrun by them. Mr Watts (left) says he does not sell the bikes for scrap metal claiming he makes 'around £50-a-week' selling them to locals which helps provide extra income for him and his disabled wife Maureen. In a spin: Mr Watts' wife Maureen, 71, is not a fan of the collection and has banned him from working in the house, complaining that she can no longer do the gardening. He added: 'This is not council property, this is my house. 'I'm registered as a bike dealer and have a scrap metal license, but if I was a scrap dealer then I wouldn't keep it all here as that would be pointless. 'I used to go and sell them at car boot sales but I can't do that anymore because I'm at home looking after my wife. 'It is just a hobby I have, I pick them up, repair them then sell them to kids and stuff. I only sell them for £20 or so and new ones normally go for over a hundred.' His wife Maureen, 71, is not a fan of the collection and has banned him from working in the house, complaining that she can no longer do the gardening. Maidstone Borough Council's parking department said they were powerless to act as the trailers full of bicycles are not attached to vehicles. A council spokesman added: 'We have received complaints about the property being untidy and are looking into the issue.' Kent County Council Trading Standards confirmed that Mr Watts is a registered trader of second hand goods.

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David Watts says he has been running a bicycle repair business from his home in Maidstone, Kent since 1971. The pensioner admits it has got out of hand with a huge stack of bikes stacked up outside home and piled in trailers. Mr Watts insists it is a 'hobby that has got out of hand' but neighbours say the pile of bikes has become an eyesore. Council bosses say there is nothing they can do as the 73-year-old is officially licensed as a second-hand trader. But they have promised to look at the case again after receiving more complaints from people living nearby. His 71-year-old wife Maureen is not a fan of the collection and has banned him from working on bikes in the house.

While the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has put accidental spills squarely in the national spotlight, one U.S. senator is warning of another possible threat: deliberate sabotage. Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia is calling on the Obama administration to develop plans to safeguard offshore platforms from attack by terrorists. The senator, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made his case in a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. "While Congress will continue to scrutinize BP and regulatory agencies, I write to urge you to also be vigilant against deliberate acts, such as an attack or sabotage, that could similarly devastate the region," Webb said in the letter, referring to the Gulf Coast. But he wants the security plans adopted for all U.S. coastal areas. While there are no oil derricks off Virginia's coast, Webb, the state's senior senator, favors oil and gas exploration in Virginia waters. He also backs a controversial moratorium in deepwater drilling ordered by the Interior Department, until risks and safeguards can be better assessed. Webb notes in the letter that the BP oil spill is the worst environmental disaster in the country's history. He said that, "With dozens of wells operating in the Gulf of Mexico and elsewhere, we must employ policies that mitigate all types of risk." The senator said that a lack of vigilance on security issues "could leave the marine ecosystem, as well as certain areas of our national security, at great risk." He's asking the federal agencies to assess how vulnerable offshore oil rigs are to attack and make recommendations to Congress for safeguarding them. The senator points out in his letter that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission requires that nuclear reactors be able to withstand plane crashes and said similar standards should be considered for the oil and gas industry. Webb's request for security measures comes as he prepares for a possible rematch in 2012 with Republican George Allen, the incumbent he narrowly defeated in 2006. Allen, a former governor, also supports oil and gas exploration off Virginia's coast.

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Senator Webb of Virginia warns of terror threat to offshore oil rigs. Webb asks federal agencies to report on security measures. Webb says rigs must be protected, much like nuclear reactors.