Anger erupted in Bradford today as the Government called on councils to earmark unauthorised sites where gipsies can camp without fear of eviction.

Environment minister Nick Raynsford has sent out new guidelines to councils advising them to relax the rules and allow gipsies to stay in suitable areas which are not official sites.

The Government says the new regime would make it easier to manage travellers because they will know exactly what rights they have in each area.

The guidelines have been issued as a series of illegal gipsy camps have sprung up in Bradford with caravans moving from site to site as injunctions are granted.

Bradford Council provides 47 places at its two official sites in Mary Street Bradford and Esholt - but they are currently full.

The authority's current policy is to move travellers off its own land if the sites are unsuitable and there are complaints. However, businesses have to take their own Court action in the case of private land.

The Council has had to apply to the County Court five times for possession in the last six months and companies say their private evictions have cost thousands of pounds.

Today the Council's Tory group described the new guidelines as an open door for travellers and predicted they would flood the district. And group leader Councillor Margaret Eaton is writing a strong letter of objection to the minister.

Bradford Chamber of Trade past-president Mary Frame said she also had serious concerns and the issue will be discussed at the next meeting.

The Chamber of Commerce says it believes it is the wrong answer and wants the Government to look, instead, at the network of official sites and consider a referral system for gypsies.

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, leader of the Council's Liberal Democrat Group, said: "I think the Council would be on very thin ice if it created a precedent."

But Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said it was not a change in law, but guidelines to local authorities when they were looking at policies. But he said he did not believe there would be much effect in Bradford.

Coun Eaton said: "I think these guidelines will be a green light to encourage more gipsies to Bradford. We already have a record as being soft."

Bradford Chamber of Commerce director Sandie Needham said the Council did a good job, creating good facilities at its own properly managed sites but he queried the Government move.

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