Since Lord Justice Sullivan sitting in the Court of Appeal yesterday (Monday) refused the Travellers' leave to appeal from the decision of Mr. Justice Ouseley, it looks as if the legal route has indeed reached the end of the road.
A travellers spokeswoman said "this looks like the end of the road", but Kathleen McCarthy added "We'll have to fight the bailiffs off, we're already in lockdown"
Basildon District Council stated they would not give any further notice of when the eviction would start. I think it will be in the next week or so. The Council also requested that the residents "leave peacefully and in an orderly fashion". I very much doubt this will happen.
The leader of the Council Tony Ball said "I also made it cleatr that the so-called supporters should also pack up their belongings and leave the site. If they have the travellers' best interests at heart they will either leave the area now or confine their activities to helping the travellers to leave over the coming days". He also stated " We are required to give 48 hours notice to three plots and that we will do, but the rest of the site will now be cleared at a time of our chooosing. Our job is now to clear the site in a safe and dignified manner and this we intend to do".
I wish I could endorse the obvious and reasonable wishes of the Local Authority, but in all honesty I can not believe the travellers' are going to stand aside and allow the bailiffs to execute their legal duties.
This will in my humble opinion be a long running battle with the travellers'and their so-called supporters, and will take many days if not weeks for the site to be cleared.
May I suggest that Basildon Councils next task will be to seek to recover their considerable legal costs from the travellers , who are alleged to have over £23 million in cash and properyt in Ireland.
If you would like to read more about Irish travellers go to www.irishtraveller.org.uk