Ruth Barnett describes herself as a human rights promoter, typical of these politically correct times (Letters, June 16).

Writing from her London home, a safe 30 miles away, she seeks to tell the people of Basildon and their councillors they need education in the culture and history of the supposedly, put-upon travellers and gipsies of Dale Farm.

Perhaps, Ms Barnett would like to consider various matters before she invites these “victims” to come and share her back garden.

She states only those “devoid of basic empathy and compassion” would want to make 80 families face eviction.

This is an illegal site populated by people who invited themselves in without authority and who ignore the need to send their children to schools, which they do nothing to fund.

They are seemingly untroubled by the legal requirement on the rest of us to pay council tax and they manage to flout every piece of planning permission that would hamper the ordinary house owner.

They cry out they are persecuted, but will move out for £2million. All this is something we, who complain, should feel guilty about.

Those living nearby, whose property values have slumped and have seen crime soar, are in need of some “education” and should understand those who have invaded their vicinity are “just as human as themselves”.

The following day it was reported NHS staff are now being told to put those in traveller camps ahead of “ordinary” people – the ones who fund the NHS through their taxes – on their waiting lists. What on earth is going on in this country?

This issue has nothing to do with racist hate, but everything to do with equal responsibility.

It is the human rights of the taxpaying, hard-working residents, who have to put up with this ludicrous situation, that are being violated.

They are not there to subsidise those who are supposedly travellers, yet do not travel and gipsies, who do not roam.

Every bank holiday weekend, while council offices are shut and the police turn a usual blind eye, bits of our green belt are blighted by the superfast laying of concrete and the invasion of caravans, or even fixed dwellings. Presumably, Ms Barnett regards this as the “human rights” of these misunderstood people.

Why should there be the need to find them somewhere else for nothing?

The message should be to do what the rest of us have to: Get a proper job, a mortgage, a council tax bill and stop scrounging as a lifestyle. It is you Ms Barnett who needs to understand.

John Pritchard
New Road
Hadleigh