Travellers “invasion” warning for Billericay landowners

PRIVATE landowners across Billericay and Wickford have been urged to barricade their land or face an invasion by travellers.

The leader of Basildon council, Malcolm Buckley, has warned farmers and anyone who owns land to blockade their entrances in the run up to one of the biggest traveller eviction's the nation has ever seen.

The news comes at the same time as travellers revealed plans to fend off bailiffs by building defences at the entrance to Dale Farm in Crays Hill.

Cllr Buckley said people were putting tree trunks, rusty ploughs and anything they could find at entrances to their land.

“I think it's for people to protect their own property, it's quite right and something that's happening right across the country,” he said.

“People need to be aware that their land will inevitably be at risk if there's an eviction from Hovefields (Wickford) and Dale Farm, they need to prepare for that.

“It's sad that people feel under such a threat that they have to do this; that they have to go to these lengths because it clearly detracts from the sites and costs them money.

“The owners should be able to use and access their land, as long as what they are doing is legal.

“Obviously most people wouldn't dream of setting up camp on somebody else's land but I know the landowner was left really out of pocket when travellers moved on to his site in Dunton Road a few months back. It's not just evicting the people that are there but also the mess that is often left behind.”

Traveller spokesman Gratton Puxon said he was disappointed the council had got involved.

He said: “I do find it strange that the council are involved in this; surely it is up to the private landowners to do what they want to do, but yes it's happening more and more that people are blocking off their land.

“Our legal advisers and lawyers have told us to put up a gate to stop bailiffs coming in at four or five o'clock in the morning.

“As Oak Lane is a private road we are well within our rights to do so.

“For the people that live here legally it would be disturbing their peace if people came through the gate and started evicting people, so we will be discussing that with the bailiffs.”

Basildon council is continuing to pursue their twin track approach to evicting the illegal travellers from Dale Farm and Hovefields.

They are likely to vote again to evict them through the usual planning process, but are also awaiting a date for their Court of Appeal hearing which will come in October at the earliest.

Cllr Buckley said the council would adopt whatever came first – the vote or the appeal decision.