Congratulations to Jon Austin who has revealed what we all know, but what the authorities will not admit - the travellers are not poor homeless people who have been forced to move on to green belt because they have nowhere else to go.

They are a well-organised group of very clever people who systematically buy and develop cheap green belt land, which is then sold on at great profit.

When are the authorities going to stand up to these people and say "enough is enough"?

Basildon Council started off by upholding the law - now it appears to be making only token efforts.

The Government is just totally ignoring all the facts presented to it.

No doubt the Echo will be receiving many letters from people and the clergy saying that travellers are being singled out and are doing no harm.

All I would say is come and live for a month next to an unauthorised development with the sewerage, the intimidation, the packs of dogs running loose, the antisocial behaviour and then say they do no harm.

I would hasten to add that not all travellers are like this - we lived in harmony before the sudden influx here in Hovefields five years ago.

Yes, there is a need for traveller sites. The Government needs to ensure that every district in the country provides well-run and regulated traveller sites.

This is the only fair way to deal with the travellers situation.

Jill Walsh
Hovefields Avenue
Wickford

...E Wooley yet again tells us how wicked and evil all travellers are for using alleged, illegal sites to live on (Jan 5).

It is believed that in the UK many non travellers in so-called normal houses extend their properties without permission from local councils, or do not follow plans that have been agreed.

Does E Wooley think they are all terrible people as well?

Aaubrey Stein
Pattiswick Square
Basildon

...It must be a bit depressing for Avril Jo Mulcahy (Jan 9) to have read the recent articles in the Echo about those poor deprived travellers squatting illegally in parts of the country.

Perhaps us mean-spirited members of the community should contribute to a fund so that money can be made available so that these poor downtrodden people can be trained in money management as well as firefighting!

Les Smith
Rochford