VILLAGERS have blasted a council for collecting bags of household rubbish from travellers living at an illegal land grab site.
An injunction granted four months ago bans anyone from occupying the site or carrying out any further development.
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But bin lorries now include the 12-pitch site in their weekly rounds in Willows Green, Essex.
Locals plan to stage a protest tonight outside Uttlesford council’s offices in Saffron Walden.
One reckoned: “They are living there illegally in plain sight but the council has done nothing.
“To add insult to injury the travellers, who don’t pay any council tax, are getting bins collected.
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“It is a complete joke. The villagers have now had enough.”
The privately-owned field, once home to great crested newts and rare albino fallow deer, was concreted over on the first May bank holiday.
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Uttlesford council served a stop notice on May 5 and secured a High Court injunction days later.
Last week, travellers submitted a retrospective planning application for 12 mobile homes on the site.
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Uttlesford council said it had a legal duty to collect waste.
A spokesman said: “We understand the frustration felt by local residents and remain committed to using the powers available to us to address unauthorised development.”
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The row comes after two more traveller land grabs over the August bank holiday weekend on privately-owned land in Rochford, Essex, and Sawbridgeworth, Herts.
In both cases the local councils issued stop notices and sought injunctions to block further work.
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