- LONDON: A group of Irish Travelers facing eviction from their English campsite won a last-minute reprieve Monday when a judge prevented bailiffs from removing any structures in their settlement.
The tense standoff between residents of Dale Farm, 50 km east of London, and local officials saw protesters chaining themselves to the gates of their camp as bailiffs moved in to enforce an eviction order. The showdown follows a decade-long legal battle between the government and the Travelers — a traditionally nomadic group similar to, but ethnically distinct from, Gypsies or Roma people.
Late Monday, a judge at London's High Court issued a last minute injunction preventing the Basildon Council from clearing structures, including cars and mobile homes, from the site before another court hearing Friday.
