The High Court has overturned the conviction of a man who tweeted a joke about blowing up an airport, bringing an end to the long-running 'Twitter joke trial'.

The conviction of Paul Chambers for sending a menacing electronic communication via Twitter was challenged earlier this year (8 February) by his barrister Ben Emmerson QC of Matrix Chambers, instructed by Preiskel & Co head of media David Allen Green.

The case dates back to January 2010, when Chambers posted a tweet when the Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster was closed due to adverse weather conditions.

He posted: "Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!"

Chambers was arrested a week later at his office after an off-duty manager at the airport found the message in an unrelated computer search.

Sir Peter Gross and Mr Justice Irwin could not agree on the case at an appeal hearing in May this year, with a further appeal hearing subsequently heard by the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, sitting with Mr Justice Owen and Mr Justice Griffith Williams.

The judges today ruled in favour of the defendant, with the appeal allowed on the basis that the tweet "did not constitute or include a message of a menacing character". The judgment states that the judges could not usefully take this aspect of the appeal further.

John Cooper QC of 25 Bedford Row and Sarah Przybylska of 2 Hare Court represented Chambers in court, while Crown Prosecution Service special appeals unit lawyer Tracey Wareham instructed Robert Smith QC of Park Court Chambers to act on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer.