after Magistrate Edward King ordered them to be forfeited yesterday.

William Burrows Clemons told Mr. King he wanted to keep the three amplifiers which he claimed to have built from kits "to keep my mind developing''.

But Mr. King rejected this after much argument, saying: "I'm satisfied the defendant was convicted on a guilty plea for having such equipment without lawful permission.

"Sir, you don't have a permit. It's as simple as that,'' Mr. King added.

When Clemons replied "I'll build another'', Mr. King hotly fired back: "You build another and you get caught and you come back here and the court will treat you more harshly.

"The law says you have to get permission or a permit,'' he said.

Clemons, 43, of Cherry Hill Park, Paget, said he built the radio transceivers to learn electronics and "not be ignorant'', adding that he was teaching his children to be self reliant.

"If they take that stuff what about the transistors and diodes and capacitors that I have at home?'' he asked. "Do I have to throw them away? There is no license in existence for this type of thing.

"I build them, I've been building them since 1978. There's nothing wrong with that equipment. I pleaded guilty to having apparatus. That stuff is like a school. I had to learn with it. That's like a school book.

"Weed and cocaine is illegal not a radio!'' he added. "I applied for a licence but there is no licence for it.'' Last year Clemons pleaded guilty to having a telecommunications system without a permit, possessing radio apparatus and causing harmful interference.

Yesterday he maintained he pleaded guilty to having "apparatus''.

Senior Telecommunications Inspector Hiram Edwards was present during the hearing as the enforcement officer.

As a parting shot, Clemons said: "So you just want me to remain ignorant?'' Mr. King replied: "If you want your ignorance to land you in prison.''