Paving firm run from Hampton Court

The four labourers report to Irish traveller Gerry McCann - also known as Archie - who lives on an illegal plot named after King Henry VIII's palace, Hampton Court. He runs a paving firm from the address.

The plot next-door but one, called Hatchertang, is owned by his daughter Mary, and is where his workforce illegally lives in caravans.

McCann, 49, was fined £1,000 in February 2006 after pleading guilty to conning two pensioners, in their eighties.

He tripled the price of drive work during construction and pretended to be from the Guild of Master Craftsmen.

We can also today name Hampton Court as the scene of two serious crimes involving "dossers", vulnerable people forced to work in the black economy.

In October 2005, a Kenyan illegal immigrant, who lived there for a week after being recruited as a labourer in London, was hit on the head with an axe before fleeing. Five months earlier a homeless man, offered work in London, was taken to Hampton Court.

He was bundled into a van after he tried to leave the next day, and jumped out of it on the A127 to flag down help.

McCann's extended family is fighting Basildon Council for permission to keep the two green belt plots and claim the rogue trader does not live at Hovefields.

In evidence at public inquiries, the council and planning inspector have been told the people occupying Hampton Court include McCann's wife, Catherine, and their children, including, Peter, 12, who was seen working with McCann, and the family claims is being privately tutored.

Other occupants include her grown-up children and their children, and John Wild, 56, a long-term dosser. McCann himself is not listed and Catherine put on record at the latest inquiry last October that he does not live there. They arrived in late 2003, claiming to have given up roadside travelling, and needed the plots to avoid being homeless. Peter was seen helping his dad with the business, which operates most days, and driving a green Iveco lorry a short distance in Hovefields Avenue - a private road.

l If you recognise any of the workers, call Jon Austin in confidence on 01268 469304.

How Archie responded

THE Echo rang Gerry McCann on a mobile phone number he uses for the block paving business, to allow him to comment.

Initially he answered to the name Archie - his nickname at Hovefields - but denied being him once we said we were from the Echo.

We asked about the business, flytipping and the public inquiry.

He said: "You've got the wrong man. My name's Jimmy. I don't do block paving."

He handed the phone to a man with an English accent to take down our contact number if he decided he did want to comment.

This man gave us another mobile phone number.

He said: "If you want to know about the block paving, call this number and ask for Bob."

When we called it the person at the other end hung up straight away.

Yesterday, one of McCann's workers called the Echo to complain about featuring in reports in Day One of our expose.

When we called him back an Irish man calling himself John Murphy answered.

He said: "He's not involved in block paving and he's going to sue. He lives with me at the back of the site on Five Acres. Wherever you are getting your information it's all wrong."

He disputed that people should pay tax if they were paid £50 for a day's building work, or if they were involved in scrap, before becoming abusive. We also called Five Star Paving.

An Irish woman said if we had evidence of flytipping we should have gone to the police.

She said: "These are people who would otherwise be living in cardboard boxes on the streets. They are not on income support and are getting a roof over their heads and work. We can't make them wash if they don't want to.

"You just want to write lies to get them kicked out of Hovefields. You should be writing about immigrants. Your paper is prejudiced."

She then hung up.

The number for 1st Quote Paving dialled through to a serviced office, who gave us a mobile phone number which was not answered.