Villagers fighting to block plans to extend Manor Farm in Luddington made their feeling known at a packed public inquiry.

Stratford District Council and the residents locked horns with representatives acting for the Bomford vegetable farming company at the inquiry, which began on Tuesday at Luddington village hall.

Controversy began almost immediately as QC Harry Walton representing Stansgate, the agents acting for Bomford, accused the district council of not being objective about the plans and said the "commuters" living in the village were "Nimbys" (not in my back yard).

Bomford's bid to extend its operations to include a packing station has been rumbling on for some time.

Initially, the large local firm which produces vegetables for supermarket chains on 3,500 acres between Stratford and the Vale of Evesham, applied to extend Orchard Farm in Salford Priors, but those plans were dismissed.

The company then applied to change the farm at Luddington by extending the main farm building and creating a new driveway for vehicle access along with widening Luddington Lane to allow easier passage for tractors and trailers going to and from the farm.

The district council agreed to support outraged residents in Luddington and on the other side of the river at Welford against the plans at a meeting in July after Stansgate revealed it was planning an appeal against the council for failing to agree planning permission within the statutory time period.

Mr Walton, amid a chorus of boos and hisses from the packed hall, accused the district council's judgement of being clouded by the "emotive" protests of "commuters" living in the countryside with an idyllic view of farming instead of the reality of a quick-changing modern industry.

He added: "I don't wish to denigrate the residents, but I have in mind three gorgeous acronyms, Nimby, not in my back yard; Lulu, locally unacceptable land use and Bananas, build absolutely nothing, absolutely nothing, anywhere!"

The inquiry is scheduled to end tomorrow afternoon (Friday) although a decision is not likely for some weeks.