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Watch travellers give
their side of the story.

Two men have been arrested during the mass
eviction of families on an illegal travellers camp in
Gravesham.

One was arrested for a public order offence
and issued with an £80 fixed penalty notice for criminal
damage. A second man was taken into custody on suspicion of
criminal damage.

Police had been at the White Post Lane, Sole
Street, Meopham site since 7am this morning to assist with the
Gravesham Borough Council-led operation.

Roads were hastily sealed off and the public
excluded from venturing near the site while the eviction order was
enforced.

Chief Superintendent Paul Brandon, area commander
for North Kent, said: 'We are there today at the request of
Gravesham Borough Council to support and facilitate this operation
and will work with them to minimise disruption to the local
community as well as ensuring the safe removal of all people from
the site, including vulnerable adults and children.

'Some emergency road closures may be necessary
throughout the day as the site is cleared.'

Travellers set up camp illegally on the
Green Belt land in October 2004.

Up to 39 people on the White Post Lane site in Sole Street,
Meopham were due to be removed throughout the day following
five years of action by the council which culminated in
an order for the travellers to leave the site by October
2008.

Travellers created a road and
hard-standings for eight static mobile homes with parking for a
number of touring caravans.

Gravesham Borough Council says today’s
eviction is taking place because the travellers contravened
enforcement notices requiring them to move from the Green Belt land
in a Special Landscape Area and return it to agricultural use.

The council believes there are 39 people
living on the site – 10 men, nine women - three of which are
pregnant - 20 children and two babies.

Residents in nearby streets were given
information by letter about the eviction first thing this
morning.

Emergency road closures could affect Nurstead
Church Lane/White Post Lane from the A227 through to a point where
the N192 footpath crosses White Post Lane adjoining
Greenmount. Copt Hall Lane from its junction with White Post
Lane through to Trollingtrough Green (Church Road/Jeskyns Lane will
also have restricted access.

Today’s eviction involves 20 agents with
low-loaders and eight-wheeled lorries and their drivers.

As well as the eight mobile home units (one
per plot) there are up to a dozen touring caravans which the
travellers are expected to remove themselves. There are also
stables, dayrooms, sheds and other outbuildings together with
hard-standings and septic tanks which will also be removed.

There are seven ponies and foals currently
grazing on the adjoining land and are not considered to be an
issue.

Council leader Cllr Mike Snelling said: “This situation has gone
on long enough and I very much hope that today’s action will bring
this sorry episode to a speedy and peaceful conclusion. The
council, at the end of the day, cannot allow planning laws to be
flouted especially on land designated as Green Belt and a Special
Landscape Area.”

The initial enforcement action led to a
planning appeal public inquiry in February 2006. The travellers
agreed to withdraw their appeals and vacate the site subject to the
council extending the period of compliance until 1 October 2008 in
order to allow them to look for an alternative site and for the
council to consider alternatives sites within its Local Development
Framework (LDF) programme.

The council identified an alternative site on
temporary allotment land in Springhead Road, Northfleet. This was
rejected by the travellers.

The council has prepared part of the site (not
including the Royal Naval Association building) for occupation.