The operation to evict Rettendon's eco-warriors looks set to cost up to a staggering £4 million - and taxpayers will have to cough up.

Essex County Council has estimated the final bill will be between £3-4 million. CountryRoute, contractors for the A130 bypass, will pay up to a limit - but the rest will fall on the taxpayer.

Colin Cranley, spokesman for the council's highways department, said: "At the moment there is no money in the highways budget for this, so any shortfall will have to come from the general allocation fund.

"We obviously would prefer to spend the money on other things, for example school crossings patrols or road safety schemes. I cannot say how much we will pay."

The protesters claim they have been made "scapegoats" over the cost. Disco Dave, liaison officer between the eco-warriors and the eviction team, said: "It has always been put against us that we're costing the taxpayer a fortune.

"The Government wastes a far greater deal of money than they're putting towards this."

Bailiffs were today continuing the slow and difficult process of trying to evict the remaining five protesters from tunnels at Gorse Wood.

The eco-warriors moved into Rettendon in May and have been battling against bailiffs for 15 days.

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