I understand the House of Lords is not willing to review the plan by Basildon Council to evict travellers from Dale Farm, which the High Court has granted.

Sadly, this is what happens when political issues get into what is essentially a humanitarian matter.

Only a person or group devoid of basic empathy and compassion can really want 80 or so families evicted from their homes.

As we have learnt from MPs’ expenses, operating within the letter of the law is not always right, especially if it violates moral and ethical laws.

It may be within the letter of the law for Basildon to evict the Dale Farm community from green belt land it owns, but it violates any sense of natural justice to force them from their homes without providing acceptable alternative accommodation.

At a national conference we were shown some examples good practice and helpful systems being put in place, but we have a very long way to go to make sure travellers and gipsies are provided for in the same way as other British citizens.

This is especially evident in Basildon.

We now have the recent instigation of hate crime as a racially motivated verbal or physical attack on any individual or group, even if no law is broken.

Unfortunately, many people, who would not express racist hate at black or Muslim people, still think it acceptable to vent their hate on gipsies and travellers.

This is a hate crime and must be reported. A major part of the problem is that the local population, especially local councillors, need education in the culture and history of travellers and gipsies and to meet, get to know and work with them.

What may be to their surprise, the councillors might then discover gypsies and travellers are just as human as themselves.

Ruth Barnett
Human rights promoter
Fortune Green Road
London