A gypsy grandmother fined £1,000 for keeping caravans on her North Benfleet landholding has had her appeal overturned.

Rachel Cooper, a Romany gypsy, admitted at Basildon Magistrates Court in November 1998 that she had breached an enforcement notice by failing to remove caravans from her green belt property.

Mrs Cooper, of Foxgrove, Harrow Road, claimed her plea of guilty had been "equivocal", and she had done everything possible to move the four caravans from her land and comply with the enforcement notice.

She told the court that she needed to be close to running water as she was caring for her young granddaughter who had a urinary tract infection and kidney problems.

Her counsel, Edward Grieves, added that Mrs Cooper's husband suffered from angina and needed regular medical attention.

Other grandchildren attended local schools, and there were no vacancies for the family on other caravan sites.

Mr Grieves also claimed that Mr and Mrs Cooper could not afford to have the caravans moved, and could not move them themselves.

He said: "It was submitted that all of the above was evidence that Mrs Cooper had done everything she could reasonably be expected to do."

But Mr Justice Blofeld said photographs of the site showed four caravans.

Two were occupied by Mrs Cooper and her son, and two when the family wanted to lead a more nomadic lifestyle.

He said: "It is clear nothing had been done to remove either of the two caravans."

Mr Justice Blofeld added that Mrs Cooper had failed to establish a defence either for the residential or the touring caravans.

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