VILLAGERS in Aldington are back to square one now a new application for a gipsy caravan site has been lodged with Wychavon District Council.

They fought and won a case on appeal earlier this year to have the previous illegal occupier Randy Ingram evicted from the field near Evesham.

As soon as he moved out, gipsy and mother-of-11 Mary Smith, moved in with her family.

Chairman of the village residents association, Patrick Sparrow said: "Some villagers are very angry but some are not surprised, taking into account the special privileges gipsies have regarding setting up permanent homes in caravans.

"We are prepared to go through the whole objection procedure again but regret the time and money Wychavon will be having to spend if this application goes to appeal again."

Mrs Smith bought the land from Mr Ingram after he left in April following a £203,432 court settlement from Worcestershire County Council over stress in his job as a gipsy warden at the Hipton Hill site.

However he had already been served notice to quit the Aldington site by February 2000, where he had been living without planning permission.

Now Mrs Smith has applied to Wychavon to change the site's use from a paddock to a two-caravan gipsy site and for permission to erect a utility block.

Mrs Smith, aged 44, said: "Mr Ingram doesn't live here anymore. I've moved in and I want to stay."

Wychavon's solicitor, Tim Belcher said: "She bought the land with the enforcement notice which still applies."

Mr Belcher added that the planning application and any subsequent appeal would be dealt with in the usual way.