New Gypsy camp on Writtle Mill is a concern for villagers - Essex

From the Essex Chronicle

A GYPSY family who say they have nowhere else to live have set up camp just outside Chelmsford.

The group of 12 Travellers, who fled their home in Devon, parked their four caravans on Writtle Mill – 12 acres of green belt land owned by Graham Aldis, proprietor of upmarket restaurant Grahams On The Green in the village, who is selling the land for £300,000.

But as concern rises among villagers at the presence of their unwanted new neighbours, the Gypsy family told the Chronicle they've no plans to move.

Kathleen Price, who arrived in Essex last week, said: "We've nowhere else to go. We're pretty much homeless.

"We had to leave our home in Devon in the middle of the night because of violence. We just didn't feel safe there anymore and I wanted to make sure my family were safe.

"The violence was between people on the site and also with locals. It wasn't a nice place to be any more."

After pitching up in a layby on the A414 the group, was moved on by police.

Kathleen said: "Being on the side of the road was horrible. When it rained it was like being in a swamp and all the lorries rushing past was so scary.

"When we began to pack up to move on people were shouting 'pikey', 'gyppo' and all sorts of horrible things at us.

"We came to Essex because my daughter lives at a legal site in Maldon but when we got here the pitches that had been reserved for us had been given away.

"We found this land and because it's private the police can't do anything about it.

"We're quite happy here and don't know how long it will take for a space to become available in Maldon.

"We're not in any hurry to leave here.

"We've heard that the owner knows we're on the land but he hasn't come down and spoken to us."

Mr Aldis, who bought the land in February 1997 for £68,500, is selling it to fund a new restaurant in Billericay and a round-the-world yacht trip.

Chris Hibbitt, chairman of Writtle Parish Council, said: "We're very concerned in the village. I've had a lot of people coming to me telling me that they are worried about their presence.

"As a parish council there's very little that we can really do.

"We notified the borough council on Friday who are working on things and the police visited the site.

"As it's private land, I think things are a little more complicated.

"While there were all the issues going on with Crays Hill we were very concerned that Travellers would take up residence on our green spaces so we undertook more safety measures.

"We put specialist gates on Paradise Park."

Joey Smith, 19, Kathleen's nephew who runs the Traveller networking site chavspace.com, said: "When people find out we're Gypsies they automatically think badly of us. But we're not here to cause trouble."

Susie Fawkes, a member of the Writtle Society, said: "There is concern in the village. We want the land to be used for the community as a nature reserve.

"The general feeling is one of unease and concern."