GIPSIES living on an unauthorised site near Eckington have less than 24 hours to comply with a planning inspector's order to leave.

The group, who has occupied the site along the B4080 for almost a year, was told to vacate the land by this Friday, April 8, following an enforcement notice appeal last October.

Wychavon District Council's managing director, Jack Hegarty, claims occupants have failed to respond to the authority's last ditch attempt at an amicable solution.

Mr Hegarty said: "We wrote asking them for any valid reasons as to why they are still on the site, but we have had no indication whether they are going to comply with the order or not.

"I don't want to prejudge the situation, because there is still time, but we are continuing to take legal advice from our barristers in London."

If the gipsies remain after Friday Wychavon are legally required to send a team of enforcement officers to inspect the site to see which plots remain occupied.

It is then likely that the council will begin High Court committal proceedings. This would result in prison sentences for those who continue to refuse to leave the land.

Mr Hegarty added: "We would like to go through the court process as soon as possible and it could end up with committal proceedings which is very serious for those that remain.

"We hope it doesn't come to that and the gipsies agree to comply with the court's decisions and move off the land at an agreed time."