We're not all related, claim land-row gipsies

Five caravan sites where gipsies have invaded green belt land are all owned by people with the same surname - but the woman behind the latest site claims they are not related.

The plots, in Coven, Featherstone, Penkridge, Bridgnorth and Coven Heath, have all been snapped up by applicants with the surname of Lee.

Elaine Lee has owned Hordern Lodge off Ball Lane, Coven Heath, near Wolverhampton, for 24 years. She said one of the site owners, John Lee, was her brother-in-law, but insisted of the rest: "We are not related."

Last Saturday members of Mrs Lee's family - two sons, three daughters, 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren - illegally moved onto an empty field adjoining Hordern Lodge to the dismay of residents living in Hordern Park, which borders the site.

Mrs Lee sold Hordern Park some years ago to 39-year-old Sam Hibbs, who is married to one of her daughters.

The 60-year-old told the Express & Star that she had no choice but to move her family on to the site, saying: "You can't have six families with babies and children out living on the road in this day and age."

Today Coven councillor Mike Hampson said: "There are a number of sites in the area owned by people called Lee and Mrs Lee's children were all living on other local sites before moving onto the Hordern Lodge field, so I don't think any of them are going to be destitute.

"If the Lees needed their children to live on the site (Hordern Park) so much, there was ample opportunity over the years when properties became vacant but were instead sold off."

Since 2007, 30 traveller pitches in South Staffordshire have been granted planning permission.

Bids for a further 13 pitches are due to go before the council's planning committee while three applications involving another 16 pitches are to be heard by the planning inspectors in Bristol.

Local MP Gavin Williamson has branded the situation "an utter disgrace".