A FAMILY who say their lives are being made a misery by an illegal traveller site next door are calling on the council to keep its word and shut it down.

The site in Hamlet Hill, Roydon, has been occupied by a gipsy family since 2007, and now the once green patch of land is a muddy mess, covered with broken cars, litter and piles of timber.

Neighbours reported the site to the council once they noticed that a caravan had been moved on and sheds had been built but, more than two years on, no action has been taken while its owner exhausts the appeals process.

Julie Irons, 38, who lives next door with her family said: “He is just using the system to try to stay on the land as long as possible. He keeps sending in the applications so that he can eventually say, ‘well look, I’ve been here for x number of years so why don’t you let me have it?’, and that is despicable.

“The district council are just letting him walk all over them. I want them to keep to their word and shut it down right now.

“It should have been gone since October last year but it’s just getting worse and worse.”

The site owner, Joe Smith, has submitted four applications to have the site recognised, despite an order by the planning inspectorate that the camp should shut by October 2008.

Mrs Irons said: “We already have so many sites here – that’s more than enough and it really is causing problems in our community.

“We’re right on the edge of the district, close to Hertfordshire, so they forget about us, but we’ve both paid taxes our entire life. They’re letting this man ruin our quality of life.”

The latest application is due to go before the council later this month.

Mr Smith was unavailable for comment.