AN Alderney-based businessman has won a landmark case against a UK marketing company who sent him spam e-mails.

Nigel Roberts has been paid £300 in an out-of-court settlement by internet marketing company Media Logistics (UK) in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK.

Mr Roberts, who says that he still receives around 200 spam e-mails a day, started legal proceedings against the company after he received unwanted advertising by e-mail in August.

He has since learned that his domain name and personal details have been sold to numerous companies for advertising purposes.

Spam e-mail was made illegal in 2002 with the introduction of the European Union directive on privacy and telecommunications.

The law makes it possible for companies or individuals to take legal action against groups which send them unwanted e-mail.

Mr Roberts said that while people may think he took drastic measures for receiving just a few e-mails, he wanted to send the message to ‘spammers’ that they could no longer act with impunity.