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Two Irish traveller families have moved mobile homes on to a site in Enborne over the bank holiday weekend.

Locals are furious and say the move is ‘underhand’ and a flagrant abuse of planning restrictions.

Charlie Doherty owns the plot where the mobile homes have gone up. He says he and his young family want to settle in the area so his children can get an education.

Mr Doherty said he doesn’t want his children growing up on the side of the road like he did.

“We want our kids to have an education and learning proper," he said. "And get proper jobs when they get older and to read and write.

“We can’t read and write and had a bad education, and I don’t want the same for the kids. I’m trying to make a family home so the kids can go to school.

“I’m just trying to make somewhere to live for my family and get the kids some education and into school.”

He said he had been to see the primary school in Enborne already to get places for his children, aged eight and four.

But the locals are both suspicious, claiming that police have recovered stolen equipment from the site in the past, before the current owners took over, and fearful.

“People’s treatment of travellers isn’t always right," Mr Doherty added. "There is good and bad in everybody you know. We are just trying to make a home and live our life.

“I want to make things right and get on well with the people in the village. We have met a few people who are nice. But some people are upset. We can understand that but they don’t need to be upset because we are not going to do any wrong.

“It’s just that people don’t like travellers. We have a bad reputation. But we are here and want to be friendly with everyone. I’d like it if people came to see us and had a cup of tea with us.”

Another member of the two family community, named Speedboat, said: “You can’t tar everyone with the one brush. People think when they see travellers pulling on to land, it’s a big issue for them and that there is going to be trouble. But that’s not the situation here.”

The travellers have been issued with a ‘stop notice’ from West Berkshire Council, and have pleaded with the village to accept them. They have 28 days to appeal.

Former Enborne parish councillor Doug Staples, from nearby Vanners Lane, said the same story could apply to anyone in the area – and that the issue was around planning permission.

“Just because travellers or gypsies, who are mobile, suddenly want to bring their children to school - I don’t buy it," said Mr Staples.

“There is no planning permission for them to do that. If you want to put a shed up here you have to have permission.”

Mr Staples accepts that before Mr Doherty took over the patch of land it was derelict and scruffy, and is now cleared, with new gates, drive and stable blocks.

“Yes – they definitely improved it,” he said. “But it’s turning out to be not quite what we thought.”

Planning permission was granted for the land to be used as an equestrian space, which Mr Staples claims some locals see as a ruse.

“If it is going to end up being a mini housing estate then that has to be with the approval of the council," he said.

He added locals are fearful of what might happen in the future.

He said he hadn’t spoken to the travellers, as he got shouted at when taking photographs of the lorries moving on to the site.