HE is the loudest voice in the battle to evict hundreds of travellers illegally camped at the bottom of his garden.

Len Gridley has branded the Irish Travellers fighting to stay at Dale Farm, Oak Lane, Crays Hill, an anti-social nightmare for the last five years.

Now, the travellers want to turn the tables on Mr Gridley by branding him the "neighbour from hell".

The 47-year-old campaigner from Oak Road's picture has been posted on a website dedicated to Europe's biggest illegal site.

Under the headline "Meet Mr Gridley" the travellers introduce him as: "This man is a neighbour of Dale Farm and what a nice neighbour he is (not)."

The Irish Traveller Movement website, run by traveller activist Bridie Jones, has flagged up quotes made by Mr Gridley during an episode of the Channel 5 documentary series At War With Next Door, in which he unsuccesfully tried to broker a truce with them.

It quotes him as saying: "If I saw a caravan burning with children in it, I would let it burn.

"If anything happened to me I have an insurance policy. I have suicide bombers that will blow the camp up.

"I have a gun licence and I will use guns to defend myself."

Mrs Jones said: "After watching the programme I was very surprised the police did not go and talk to him.

"Had these comments been about any other ethnic minority he surely would have been arrested."

Mr Gridley admits making the comments, but says he has been severely provoked.

He said: "I have had death threats.

"The programme took things out of context.

"At the end of the day the travellers can say what they like, but they are there illegally and I'm not. They have devalued my home - I haven't devalued theirs."