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8:59am Thursday 10th July 2008
Gypsy Suzie Cole has spoken of the trauma she has suffered due to the ongoing legal wrangle over planning permission for the gypsy settlement at Minety.
Speaking at the planning inquiry chaired by inspector Karen Ridge yesterday she said the effect of not knowing whether her family would be allowed to stay has compounded her family's health problems.
She said: "I have been suffering with depression since January and my son has now been diagnosed with diabetes.
"People are really worried and not knowing where we will end up just adds to the stress and anxiety.
"I'm also suffering from gall stones and my daughter has had to have lumps removed from under her arms.
"I have separated from my husband as he has had to move into a home due to illness."
The gypsies are appealing against a decision by North Wiltshire District Council, which unanimously rejected an application in November from the travellers for permanent permission to remain at Sambourne Road. Sixteen gypsy families have been living on a field they bought, without planning consent, since August 2003.
Despite trying to find more suitable sites, Mrs Cole said she had not been successful. She said: "We have looked for other sites and have been around different estate agents who say nothing is suitable. One family have found another site and moved but we're are a close community and many of us are related so we don't want to be split up.
"If we were evicted there would be nowhere for us to go, we'd be back by the side of the road."
Mrs Cole denied claims that a local resident, Mrs Highland, had received abuse from the gypsies. She said: "We haven't abused Mrs Highland, it's not in our nature to do anything like that."
Also giving evidence to the inquiry was Sally Tucker Woodbury, chair of the Romany Gypsy Advisory Group for the south west. She slammed MP James Grey for his comments he made to the inquiry on Tuesday. She said: "It is a disgrace someone in his position is allowed to talk about gypsies in this way."
Speaking on Tuesday, planning expert Simon Chambers said that, although it was not council policy to allow gypsies who breached planning laws to stay, enforcing their immediate removal had not happened in similar cases.
mjhudston, Chippenham, Wiltshire says...
7:49pm Thu 10 Jul 08
shed wrote:Lets get something set on the record first. These people are not gypsys. They are travellers who miss apropriate the gyps name for their own needs.
Aaaah, she'll be after some compensation then? poor old soul. When will the gazette and the resy of the bleedin hearts stop referring to this rabble as "Gipsys" beccause they aint Romany. They are itinerant scrap metal dealers, asphalters roofing scammers. I love the bit about"it not being in our nature to do that" yeh right.
gypsysally, taunton says...
10:40pm Thu 10 Jul 08
spooks, calne says...
11:42am Fri 11 Jul 08
gypsysally wrote:true gypsie respect people and there belongs ,they travel,they are a joy to have in ones town,they leave no mess.
Let me get one thing strate these people are romani gypsies thay are britesh Romanies, Travellers are Irish people. AND WHO SAID ANY OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE STOLEN??,OR COUSED PROBLEMS, IN MY EXPERIANCE PEOPLE IN THE SETTLED COMMUNITY FEEL THAY CAN SAY AND DO WHAT THAY WANT WHEN GYPSIES OR IRISH TRAVELLERS ARE CONSERNED AND IT IS EXEPTABLE, THE FACT YOU SAY GYPSIES NEVER TRESPASS YOU HAVE NOT A CLUE THAY HAVE STOPED ON BYROADS AND ANY LAND THAY COULD FOR 100 OF YEARS IN BRITEN, IF WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT THESE FAMILIES MOVING ON TO THE SITE WITHOUT PLANNING AND BRAKING THE LAW BY DOING THIS , PLEASE TELL ME WHEN I APPLYED FOR PLANNING FOR MY HOME THE CORRECT WAY I STILL HAD THE SAME TREETMENT THESE FAMILIES RECIVED,IT IS ONE FACT THAY ARE GYPSIES AND THAT IS IT, SALLY TUCKER WOODBURY
shed, vale of pewsey says...
4:43pm Fri 11 Jul 08
Let me get one thing strate these people are romani gypsies thay are britesh Romanies, Travellers are Irish people.
AND WHO SAID ANY OF THESE FAMILIES HAVE STOLEN??,OR COUSED PROBLEMS, IN MY EXPERIANCE PEOPLE IN THE SETTLED COMMUNITY FEEL THAY CAN SAY AND DO WHAT THAY WANT WHEN GYPSIES OR IRISH TRAVELLERS ARE CONSERNED AND IT IS EXEPTABLE, THE FACT YOU SAY GYPSIES NEVER TRESPASS YOU HAVE NOT A CLUE THAY HAVE STOPED ON BYROADS AND ANY LAND THAY COULD FOR 100 OF YEARS IN BRITEN,
IF WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT THESE FAMILIES MOVING ON TO THE SITE WITHOUT PLANNING AND BRAKING THE LAW BY DOING THIS , PLEASE TELL ME WHEN I APPLYED FOR PLANNING FOR MY HOME THE CORRECT WAY I STILL HAD THE SAME TREETMENT THESE FAMILIES RECIVED,IT IS ONE FACT THAY ARE GYPSIES AND THAT IS IT,
SALLY TUCKER WOODBUR
gypsysally, taunton says...
6:30pm Sat 12 Jul 08
spooks, calne says...
9:14pm Sat 12 Jul 08
gypsysally wrote:look forward to it and while you are at it you can kiss my rectum.
And you seem like a lovley person and thay say us Romani Gypsies are rude take a look in the miror, i have printed this letter and yes i may be alitret as i did not go to school but i work with the racial equlity and i am also on the police diversaty team at porteshead i am shor thay will find out who you are as this is so racial it will make my day
mary hunt, wootto bassett says...
6:19pm Sun 13 Jul 08
spooks wrote:HOW DARE YOU
gypsysally wrote: And you seem like a lovley person and thay say us Romani Gypsies are rude take a look in the miror, i have printed this letter and yes i may be alitret as i did not go to school but i work with the racial equlity and i am also on the police diversaty team at porteshead i am shor thay will find out who you are as this is so racial it will make my daylook forward to it and while you are at it you can kiss my rectum. for it to be racial you have to prove that infact we are incorrect well prove it cos you cant, they are all lowlifes. do what your ment to do and travel .out of the uk.
spooks, calne says...
6:31pm Mon 14 Jul 08
mary hunt, wootto bassett says...
7:21pm Mon 14 Jul 08
mary hunt, wootto bassett says...
7:26pm Mon 14 Jul 08
spooks, calne says...
7:51pm Mon 14 Jul 08
mary hunt, wootto bassett says...
8:12pm Mon 14 Jul 08
spooks wrote:racist or what
still a bunch of low lifes who i wouldnt **** on if you were on fire.
spooks, calne says...
8:33pm Mon 14 Jul 08
mary hunt wrote:sorry you have mistaken me for someone who gives a s-h-i-t.
spooks wrote: still a bunch of low lifes who i wouldnt **** on if you were on fire.racist or what mr spooks you have finaly showed your self up to be what you are a racist if those comments are not then i dont know what is
Decks, swindon says...
8:48pm Mon 14 Jul 08
spooks wrote:For some that does'nt give a s-h-i-t you seem to be replying to the remarks on here .
mary hunt wrote:sorry you have mistaken me for someone who gives a s-h-i-t. sooner they ban scum traverlers the better.spooks wrote: still a bunch of low lifes who i wouldnt **** on if you were on fire.racist or what mr spooks you have finaly showed your self up to be what you are a racist if those comments are not then i dont know what is
spooks, calne says...
9:43pm Mon 14 Jul 08
spooks wrote:if you love them that much let the thieving bastards live next to you.
mary hunt wrote:sorry you have mistaken me for someone who gives a s-h-i-t. sooner they ban scum traverlers the better.spooks wrote: still a bunch of low lifes who i wouldnt **** on if you were on fire.racist or what mr spooks you have finaly showed your self up to be what you are a racist if those comments are not then i dont know what is
mary hunt, wootto bassett says...
6:46pm Tue 15 Jul 08
spooks, calne says...
7:35pm Tue 15 Jul 08
George27, calne says...
8:51pm Tue 15 Jul 08
Decks, swindon says...
11:51pm Sun 20 Jul 08
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shed, vale of pewsey says...
9:33am Thu 10 Jul 08
When will the gazette and the resy of the bleedin hearts stop referring to this rabble as "Gipsys" beccause they aint Romany. They are itinerant scrap metal dealers, asphalters roofing scammers.
I love the bit about"it not being in our nature to do that"
yeh right.