EmailStanding in the mud in his slippers, Zach adjusted his satellite TV aerial. "This place is going to be beautiful when it's finished. There'll be plants and paving - the place will look nicer than any local holiday home."
He paused, and stared at the television crews and reporters camped outside. "I don't know what they've got against us."
A rural siege was developing yesterday on the outskirts of Shipston-on-Stour, a Warwickshire village that is home to David Mills, the husband of Olympics minister Tessa Jowell - and, as of this weekend, a group of Romany Gypsies who have set up camp nearby.
The land is their own and, the Gypsies say, they have every hope of persuading the locals they can be part of their community. That would appear a lofty ambition, with hostile media coverage of their plans compounded yesterday by councillors gathering to condemn the development.
Over sweet tea and Jaffa cakes, some of the Gypsies explained that the move to Warwickshire had been a last resort. As Romany Gypsies, they cannot live in permanent homes, and for the past seven years they have met Warwickshire council repeatedly to request a suitable site. "Permanent sites for traveller communities are full," said Tom Brazil, another resident. "We've been staying overnight in laybys and car parks."
Frustrated, the families pooled resources to buy the site and began developing it. "We've gone to the council to ask for somewhere to stay," said Brazil. "I've had meetings with councillors, shown them pieces of land, and said: 'Would that be suitable enough'? And they've never, ever come back to us. So what do they expect us to do? It's been so long now - we've had no other choice. At least this way we'll get to settle down for a bit of time."
Lisa Smith added: "We're Christians - we go to the local church. We're just quiet people really, looking to get our kids into school. They just want access to education and doctors and we need a base for that. We don't mean any harm."
The Gypsies are upset at their portrayal in the media and, in particular, the claim that residents should fear them. "We know some of the villagers. We've had them up here - eight or nine of them. They said: 'Oh, that's good, you've got somewhere permanent'," said Zach.
"The newspapers keep on saying, where are we from? We are Romany Gypsies. My family dates back 300 years in this country. My wife was born in Stratford hospital. My kids were born in Warwick hospital."
Brazil admitted that they did not have planning permission for some of the development work, but the group felt it had no choice. "Our group has been registered on the council's assessment of need. It means: 'We need a home to live'. If we'd have applied for planning permission first, they'd have failed it. But at least if they do that, we're here now, we've got somewhere to live. So we're here fighting our case, where normally we'd be on the side of the road fighting the case."
Outside the perimeter fence, Beth and Beverly, two press officers wearing Stratford-on-Avon district council jumpers, stood by the gate to set up interviews with angry councillors.
One, Trevor Russell, said: "I've been on the council eight years and I can't remember something like this, where we've had a sudden invasion.
"On Thursday night it's a pleasant field, attached to very pleasant open farmland, and here we are, Tuesday lunchtime, and you can see ... it's a tip at the moment, it's a dump, it's an eyesore."
The Tory councillor complained about legislation introduced by Jowell's party. "It's going to be more difficult to deal with them, as I understand it, than it is to deal with the likes of us."
A JCB digger rolled past with children perched beside their dad. Had he tried talking to them? "No." Will he? "No."
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