FARMERS across the district are on their guard after authorities won permission to evict hundreds of people from the largest unlawful gypsy and traveller site in Europe.

Police are liaising with landowners in Epping Forest after the district council in neighbouring Basildon announced plans to demolish the site at Dale Farm in Crays Hill within the next month.

Rosemary Padfield, 59, runs Rolly Farm off Magdalene Corner in Ongar with her family. She said that many anxious farmers were fitting their gates with extra locks.

“We are certainly aware of the problem, I think it is something we are all concerned about,” she said.

“Once they set up on your land, it is very difficult to evict them quickly.

“I don't think anyone knows what will happen. It is a large volume of people being evicted and we are all being very vigilant.

“We are making sure that gateways are secure to prevent access and are fitting many of them with stronger locks.”

Concerns were raised at a meeting of Ongar Town Council that local authorities in Epping Forest were not taking enough steps to protect publicly owned land.

And Terry Blanks of the North Weald residents’ association said members were concerned that two successive long bank holiday weekends could give travellers the opportunity to move onto land without council intervention.

He added: “There are a number of sites in North Weald that could be used. We know that because we have been here before.”

“I know that some farmers have taken steps to make their land more secure. One has left a huge pile of manure at the entrance to one of his fields. It is a difficult situation as many need easy access to the fields themselves.

“We have been asking the council if they could establish some kind of early warning system but have not heard anything back from them. This would involve police letting residents know when the evictions have started so they can take action to secure their property.”

Gill Brown of the London Gypsy and Travellers Association, said: “There are not enough council run gypsy and traveller's sites in the country.

“Where are they going to go? Many of the residents of the Dale Farm site owned land there but were refused planning permission to build on it.

“People should be going to their council and asking why they have not provided somewhere for the travellers to stay. It does not have to be like this.”

Epping Forest District Council has been asked to comment.