It is reported Basildon Council is prepared to spend £8million from its reserves, and the police were to obtain £10million, to remove some 96 traveller families from the illegal Dale Farm traveller site, in Crays Hill.

We are now told the council has obtained a grant of £1.2million pounds. This totals £19.2million pounds to remove some 96 families.

This is an obscene amount of money, considering Basildon Council needs to slash £5.4million from its budget and scrap various services.

What price to uphold the law council leader Tony Ball cries, but is this eviction for the greater good of all concerned? Will these travellers be removed only to return at a later date or will various other plots of land be made available around the borough, bringing further resident issues and further huge costs.

Phil Jacobs
Grapnells
Vange