AN AMERICAN company targeted a quaint Suffolk village to start selling their innovative home wind turbines to the UK - or that is what villagers were led to believe.

Serial Cavendish prankster Arthur Kemp pulled off another April Fools’ joke at the expense of fellow residents yesterday.

They had been told a planning application had been received from Utah Airfloop Co.Inc of Utah, U.S.A to site 24 wind turbines on the iconic Cavendish Green - capable of providing power for the entire village near Sudbury.

As part of the supposed consultation period two prototypes went up on the green yesterday with the bogus company - an anagram of April Fool - claiming they would sell them off to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to a village project.

In a letter to residents a company spokesman said: “The prototypes, which were put up in the village today do not have the internal components fitted yet but with these they can produce sufficient energy for the needs of a three bedroom property.

“After the initial display the turbines will be sold to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to the proposed new kitchen at Cavendish Memorial Hall which, we are pleased to sponsor for you folks in the UK.”

But Mr Kemp, the former post master in the village, fabricated the whole elaborate scheme, even drafting a planning application letter, posters and signs to pull the wool over the eyes of residents.

It followed a prank which went terribly wrong last year when an Arabic restaurant menu on the green provoked a bomb disposal squad being called out, and Mr Kemp being taken to Haverhill police station to be questioned and cautioned.

This year’s prank, which went more smoothly, claimed the 24 wind turbines, to be sited on the green, were capable of an output of 20 m.watts per day, rising to 30 m.watts with suitable weather conditions, producing sufficient electricity for all of Cavendish. The turbines were also supposed to have a switch to power a high frequency transmitter to disperse birds and animals in the surrounding area.

Mr Kemp said it had gone extremely well and was part of his 15-year-old tradition in the village.