Waltham St Lawrence travellers given eviction deadline

About 40 Gypsies living on land in Berkshire have been told to leave.

The 10 families who moved on to the site at Waltham St Lawrence in December 2009 were served a 48-hour eviction notice on Wednesday by the council.

The Royal Borough of Windsor said it had allowed an additional weekend for the travellers to "leave voluntarily", extending the deadline to Monday.

It follows an unsuccessful appeal by landowner, Mark Pickett, over the plots which breach planning control.

'Sympathetic approach'

The 40 people living on the land at Shurlock Road were originally told by the planning inspector they had until 13 February to leave.

Following their failure to move off the site they were then served a 28-day notice by the council.

The council said the site would be cleared of all caravans, amenity units, fencing and other "traveller paraphernalia" by enforcement specialist and council officers on 15 April.

Councillor MJ Saunders said: "We have taken a diligent, cautious, sympathetic and thorough approach in coming to this decision".