BASILDON Council leader Tony Ball has made a plea to Crays Hill travellers to quit their illegal Dale Farm campsite peacefully.

But the Tory councillor admitted it was unlikely to happen, since travellers seem to have been given bad advice about staying put.

Campaign group Carta Developers says several of the enforcement notices served by the council at Crays Hill have “technical flaws” which will stop bailiffs evicting residents.

The council has refuted the claim and insists there is no legal barrier to the removal of all 51 caravan pitches, housing 90 families.

Mr Ball said Carta’s claims merely gave false hope to travellers looking for fresh grounds for an appeal.

He added: “I am greatly concerned a number of campaigners are giving poor advice to travellers at Dale Farm, leading them to pursue continued challenges.

“I believe this has given them false hope, as it has made them believe a last-minute legal ruling could stop the clearance.

“These campaigners are doing a great disservice to the people they are attempting to help.”

He pointed out over the past ten years, the council had defeated every legal challenge, even those to the highest court in the land.

Mr Ball added: “I want to urge the travellers to leave peacefully, but I am concerned they are unlikely to do this if they continue to be advised to stay and submit new challenges.”

Campaigners have asked police and council officers to meet them at the site to discuss the notices next month.

In particular, they say the fact much of the site was approved for use as a scrapyard in the Seventies means many of the hardcore caravan bases do not have to be removed. They also dispute the area of the site covered by the notices.

Lawyers representing the families facing eviction are believed to be preparing a final challenge once 28-day eviction notices are served.

Grattan Puxon, who speaks for the families, said: “All we want is a consensus view on which pitches the council is able to clear.”