Campaigners will end protest if gypsies get the boot

PROTESTERS in Meriden have offered to withdraw their 625-day protest in March if the Courts take action to evict illegal travellers who have 'devastated the Greenbelt.'

The campaigners have won planning and legal battles against the travellers and a trial date has been set for March 22 and 23 when a date could be set for the travellers to leave.

Meriden Residents Against Inappropriate Development (RAID) Chairman David McGrath said: "The planning committee of Solihull Council say we don't have permission to stay at the protest camp and we accept.

"We at least will play by the rules and the taxpayer will not have to spend any money having to evict us.

"Never the less we want our withdrawal linked to actual enforcement action taken against travellers who have caused so much harm to our Greenbelt by attempting to force residential and commercial development using underhanded tactics.

"We will not tolerate another Dale Farm where legal decisions say that the travellers should leave but they string it out for a decade."

Mr McGrath added that the Gypsy camp had become known as 'Camp Marie Celeste' locally as for the last year or so the travellers leave the site each day in the early evening to go home - leaving lights on to make it look occupied.

"The mask of deception is off and many people feel that this is about an attempt to make money out of the Greenbelt rather than anything to with housing needs

The Planning Committee will decide whether to accept RAIDs terms for voluntary withdrawal when they next meet in February.