THE eviction of travellers from Dale Farm in Crays Hill is unlikely to happen until September at the earliest, the Echo can reveal.

Basildon Council is expected to confirm next Thursday it will contribute £1.2million towards Essex Police costs – the final piece of the funding jigsaw for the operation.

But a report ahead of the full council meeting says the authority will only transfer the money if the force’s costs are above £5.5million.

Council leader Tony Ball said: “This contribution to Essex Police would enable the site clearance operation to proceed and breaches of planning control to be addressed, demonstrating the council’s ongoing commitment to its green belt policy and the firm line that it takes on enforcing planning legislation.”

Essex Chief Constable Jim Barker-McCardle, has written to council leader Tony Ball, asking for written confirmation of the money, by July 1, the day after the meeting.

Only then will he start tendering for officers from other forces and equipment, such as portable toilets and food huts, for the eviction, a process which can take up to 60 days.

Basildon Council has told the Court of Appeal it would not evict the families during the school summer holidays, and there are unlikely to be enough police officers available during August, so the earliest it is expected to happen is September.

The council is still also yet to serve the families 28-day eviction notices.

Police anticipate maximum worst-case scenario costs of £9.5million, and the council £8million, if hundreds of