Anger over council's 'secret plan' to seize children from Dale Farm site

ANGRY travellers claim Essex County Council has a "secret plan" to take more than 100 children away from their families in the event of Basildon council's impending eviction at Dale Farm.

Members of the Dale Farm community in Billericay claim a whistleblower inside the council has shown them the plans, but the council have strongly denied any knowledge and reacted angrily to the claims.

A spokesman for Essex County Council, said: "There is no secret plan to seize children from Dale Farm.

"The county council does not seize children.

"We can't say any more until somebody comes with something concrete.

"If there was an eviction then there is a statutory obligation to provide young children and the elderly with somewhere to go.

"But we can't just go and seize children, absolutely not."

Travellers at Dale Farm, which is one of the largest traveller encampments in Europe, called an emergency meeting of the Gypsy Council yesterday (Tuesday) to discuss the way forward.

Traveller spokesman Grattan Puxon said: "We need to meet up with Essex County Council as a matter of urgency.

"We understand the plans include removing all the children before the bulldozers come in and destroy all these people's homes."