Dale Farm Residents 'Traumatised' By Eviction

Dale Farm supporters have said residents are "traumatised" by the ongoing eviction of the travelling community from the farm, claiming police brutality and "the illegal destruction of property".

The supporters group, Dale Farm Solidarity, said on Wednesday morning they are to seek an emergency injunction to stop the ongoing eviction.

According to reports, riotous scenes erupted as police moved in to prepare the way for bailiffs, clearing the contested part of the UK's largest travellers' site.

Riot police entered the site after breaking down a rear fence at 7am, before they were met by salvos of bottles and stones.

Despite a long legal battle, the travellers were unable to stop Basildon Council from obtaining legal permission to evict the community from the site at the Court of Appeal on Monday.

Natalie Fox, a spokesperson for Dale Farm Solidarity, said: “Far from being the dignified eviction that Basildon Council is claiming, this is set to be one of the most brutal evictions on record.

"The Council know that there are elderly and vulnerable people on site, as well as children, but they have gone in with a full frontal and brutal approach, which is already resulting in injuries. The world is watching."

Meanwhile, a statement on the Basildon Council website said: "The operation to clear Dale Farm, the illegal travel settlement in Crays Hill, Essex commenced at 7am with significant police activity focused on two ends of the site."

"Police entered the site this morning after taking command of the operation."

Ahead of the eviction, Cllr Tony Ball, said that since last Wednesday evening the residents at Dale Farm had been "living on borrowed time".

Following reports that barricades have been strengthened over the weekend, Mr Ball said there would be no notice given before the eviction at the main site began.

"Our job is now to clear this site in a safe and dignified manner and this is what we intend to do," Mr Bell said.

Meanwhile, as the eviction rages in the background, Dale Farm Solidarity have claimed at least two women residents sustained head injuries as police forced entry onto the site using sledgehammers, while the plot of a resident who needs a breathing machine to survive has had it’s electricity cut.

Mary Sheridan, a Dale Farm resident who has taken her children off site and is staying in a relative’s lawful plot, said: “The only premeditated violence has come from the police - they knew exactly what they were doing when they started beating and tazering people. This is not how a community should be treated by its own Council. It’s illegal for us to travel, but illegal for us to settle down here. We’re getting hit by the police but we’ve got nowhere else to go.”

(DW/CD)