GIPSIES who descended on land just outside Eckington village face High Court action.

Dozens moved on to the land, which they own, last Friday after submitting a planning application to Wychavon District Council. On Saturday morning contractors arrived to lay hardcore and put up fences on the field along the B4080 Eckington to Tewkesbury Road.

District and county councillor Adrian Hardman said: "This is quite obviously the worst breech of planning control in this district. The site is in the middle of greenbelt and next to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are also road issues and drainage issues. The residents are obviously up in arms about it and feel completely helpless. We cannot allow a breech of this severity to go unchallenged because if we do it undermines the entire planning system."

Cilla Cameron, Eckington Parish Council chairman said: "Of course there is a lot of concern among villagers. What is really annoying everybody is that these people have moved on and are not acting according to the law - you get people riding roughshod."

Wychavon District Council yesterday issued stop notices demanding that further works on the site and residential use of the land cease by Sunday.

If the group refuses to comply an application will be made to London's High Court for an order forcing the gipsies to leave.

Wychavon managing director Jack Hegarty said: "The gipsies are determined to stay on site and they have told me that in no uncertain terms.

"If stop notices are not complied with we will then take them to the High Court. We are determined to take whatever legal action is necessary."

Sir Michael Spicer, MP for West Worcestershire said: "It is totally unacceptable that planning laws should be flouted by a small minority of the population. Within two days travellers have, without permission, turned an open field into a hard surface for a dozen caravans."

Ron Stainer, planning agent for the group said: "Anyone living in a caravan who does not have a legal place to park it is, under the Housing Act, homeless. At the moment Wychavon District Council has a considerable number of homeless people in the area. It is fairly evident there is a need for more gipsy sites in Wychavon."

Wychavon has two more unauthorised gipsy sites in Evesham and at Wyre Piddle. The Wyre Piddle case, which mirrors the Eckington situation, is to be heard at a planning appeal next week.

The unauthorised camping on a recreation ground in Davies Road is due to be heard today when councillors hope their plea for eviction will be successful.