The owners of a historic priory have angered villagers by fencing off a piece of land, which has been used by the public for centuries.

The Bury in front of St Osyth Priory was granted to the village by Henry II in 1238, and has been used as a public car park for years.

The Sargeant family applied to fence it off and create a formal car park amid problems with nuisance vehicles and drug-dealing on the grassy area, and concerns it had become bare and potholed. A temporary fence was put up on Sunday despite Tendring Council turning down an application for a 1.2 metre high barrier.