TOO LATE TO DALE OUT

Last Monday, activists and Dale Farm supporters steeled themselves for the long -awaited eviction – over 200 activists had gathered to lock on and support the 500 strong traveller community. But  the law rather surprisingly rode to the rescue at the last moment – with an injunction granted by  Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart to halt the eviction until at least Friday 23rd.

The injunction was granted on the basis that Basildon council  had failed to specify exactly what what and wasn’t permitted on each pitch. Thankfully for vulnerable residents the injunction also stops them cutting off the water and leccy.

The slow trundling of caravans back onto Dale Farm after the last-ditch injunction granted on Monday must have been like a horrible nightmare for Basildon Councillors, with everything they’ve been working to destroy slowly going into reverse. With reports that council officials don’t appear to know their arse from their elbow, let alone a legitimate structure from a sledgehammer target,  collecting the info necessary could be quite a struggle for the authorities.

SchNEWS lacks the clairvoyance to tell the outcome of the case, but with the council running up costs of £1.2 million for every day the eviction looms, and the trump card of politicians ‘saving face’ against human rights arguments, it’s likely the eviction will go ahead.

* See http://dalefarm.wordpress.com/