News

A group of gypsies will be jailed for contempt of court unless they move from a site in Bedfordshire, a high court judge has ruled.

Judge James Goudie issued an injunction against the travellers camped on land next to the village of Hatch, near Northill.

The ruling was sought by Mid-Bedfordshire Council as the culmination of a four-year battle with the gypsies, who have been accused of disrupting the lives of villagers and damaging the countryside.

David Elvin, acting for the council, said there had been an increase in crime and nuisance in the area since the gypsies moved in, and the impact on residents was "unacceptable".

Donald Kenrick, vice-president of the Gypsy Council, has warned that many of the families will have no alternative but to live on the roadside if they are evicted.

He said the gypsies have been given until the end of October to leave. "Many of the children are settled in local schools, and several of the adults have serious health needs, and four months is not enough to find another site."

The gypsies may appeal against the injunction, he said.