MORE than 150 caravans have set up camp in a field as part of a gipsy Christian convention near Malvern angering nearby residents.

Homeowners in Newland claim they have had their views blemished by caravans, vans and tents, which moved onto the field beside Townsend Way on Sunday morning.

One anonymous resident said they had not been consulted about the festival and the noise was keeping them awake at night.

"Within 10 minutes I had beer cans over the fence," said the resident, who wanted to remain anonymous.

"My 11-year-old son came down about 11pm saying he couldn't sleep - and it was a school night.

"I've got no objection to them as long as they are respectful of other people and their property." He said motorbikes and vans were being driven at high speed in the field and pulling handbrake turns.

"I got to bed at about 2am when the generators finally stopped."

But the organiser of the Light and Life Christian Mission, Hubert Clee, denied the gathering was overly noisy.

He said the generators were mostly silent, and it was only the main generator, powering the meeting tent that was noisy.

"If you call that noisy, then it's noisy, but most people complain over nothing.

Mr Clee said the Mission would finish on Friday, when the majority of the caravans will pack up and go their separate ways. At breakfast time this morning the site was clean and tidy and peaceful, apart from the hum coming from the main generator.

"This is what it's like," said Mr Clee.

"You won't be able to pick up a match when we leave this site. Not everybody here is a Christian, but we are reaching out to them with the gospel.

"The Bible says 'Live by the laws of the land', and that is exactly what we are preaching."

Most caravans had internal toilets and those without had canvas cubicles set up just beside them.

One of the co-ordinators extended a warm welcome to anybody who wanted to join them with their twice-daily Christian services.