A TOP councillor has labelled the Dale Farm traveller site a “slum” controlled by absentee landlords.

Stephen Horgan, councillor in charge of regeneration at Basildon Council, described the controversial illegally-expanded site at Crays Hill – allegedly home to 96 families – as unfit for human occupation.

Mr Horgan said because the site was not connected to mains sewerage it poses a health risk to both travellers on the site and nearby residents.

He also argued a number of residents fighting to stay there did not own their caravan pitches, and housing benefits were being paid to travellers who were on other plots or did not even live on the site.

He said: “There is inadequate sewage provision, so what does that do for the quality of life of the people at Dale Farm and people in the immediate vicinity?”

Referring to protestors who are planning an attempt at preventing the eviction, Mr Horgan continued: “People are prepared to die in a ditch to help landlords being paid for inadequate housing – these are called slum landlords.

“These are the same landlords who said to this council, give us £2million and we will steal away into the night.”

Tory council leader Tony Ball said there was an “element of a business” about Dale Farm’s creation.

He said a “great deal” of public money was being paid to a particular traveller whose address was hundreds of miles from the camp.

He added: “There is a business element to this and that must not be forgotten.”

Their comments came as they urged families still on the site to “see sense” and move off to avoid an eviction.

However, it appears that will be far from the case as campaigners seem to be digging in their heels rather than moving on.

Several students, who recently visited Dale Farm from Essex University, Colchester, are recruiting other like-minded protesters to live at a camp next to the site during the eviction.

Lead campaigner Grattan Puxon said: “Meetings are planned in London, Chelmsford, Cambridge, Bristol and Brighton to sign up legal observers for Camp Constant, the support camp which will be set up at Dale Farm if Basildon signals it is finally calling in the bailiffs, the bulldozers and riot police.”