More travellers facing eviction

An Essex council has decided to evict travellers from a site in Wickford.

Basildon District Council now has the authority to enter the site at Hovefields Drive and evict residents and their vehicles.

The council says Hovefields has been the subject of a number of enforcement notices dating from 1998 and travellers are occupying the site illegally.

The decision to evict travellers from the site was agreed at a council meeting on Thursday evening.

The council's development control and traffic management committee chairman councillor Sylvia Buckley said it had been a "difficult decision".

Basildon council is also considering whether to evict hundreds of residents at Cray's Hill site near Wickford in Essex.

The Gypsy Council was unavailable for comment.