Travellers invade Coven Heath site

Travellers have set up an illegal camp on green belt land in South Staffordshire, devastating elderly home owners whose picturesque views disappeared overnight.

A convoy of bulldozers and lorries shattered the peace of the Coven Heath countryside in a carefully organised early morning operation, which took place while council offices were closed.

Angry neighbours described it as "like a military invasion".

The convoy moved on to a field next to a luxury mobile home park in Coven Heath and within hours of the machinery moving on the field at 6.30am on Saturday, residents' countryside views were blocked after fencing was installed and hardcore laid before six caravans moved on to set up camp.

Residents living on the mobile home park were woken when two mechanical diggers started removing the topsoil on the green belt site and piling it into an eight-foot high mound obscuring views of the canal.

A convoy of lorries dropped several tons of materials for foundation work before six caravans moved on to the field.

Patio tables, chairs and children's swings have also been set up on the land off Ball Lane, which is called Hordern Lodge and is close to the junction of the M54 and A449.

Tearful pensioners, many of whom spent their life savings on five-star mobile homes on adjacent Hordern Park mobile home site today claimed the value of their properties had been slashed.

Sam Hibbs, 39, who lives in a nearby cottage and has owned the Hordern Park mobile home park since 2000, described the arrival of the travellers as "a nightmare".

He said: "I'm devastated. It's been like a military invasion."

The travellers own the field adjacent to Hordern Park, but have no planning permission to set up camp on the field.

Traveller Elaine Lee, aged 60, co-owner of the field who also owns a legally authorised caravan park adjacent to the field, today insisted: "We are staying put.

"I have tried for 20 years to get planning permission for my children but the council wouldn't let me. And now I am handing it all over to my children."

Mrs Lee said the six caravans would house her five children, 19 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Police were called to the field at around 8.30am on Saturday and asked that the travellers halt work until it had been clarified if the group had planning permission.

But the work continued despite the police warning and within four hours the hardcore was laid and fences erected.

Today 12 residents travelled to South Staffordshire Council's headquarters in Codsall, to discuss the way forward.

The council's director of legal services David Patterson said: "It appears that this was an unauthorised move and we are monitoring the situation very carefully."

By Victoria Nash