Mark Gaskin, of Cranmore Lane, says the permanent Holbeach site chosen at last Wednesday's special cabinet meeting is unsafe for children and open like a "goldfish bowl".

He has hit out at South Holland District Council cabinet for turning down the chance to buy Fiona and Harvey Robbins' house neighbouring their existing camp and in effect get a site at no cost as the travellers were offering to make up any shortfall on the sale.

Mr Gaskin said the council is wasting more than £500,000 of taxpayers' money on a site no-one wants.

He added: "If our appeal goes wrong in January and they build their site – there is no way we will pull onto it.

"We will take our claim to Strasbourg and the European Court of Human Rights. We will fight this all the way.

"There is no way any traveller in the district will go on that Holbeach site – nobody in the town wants it and we are frightened for the safety of the kids."

Jimmy Clark, of the Broad Drove camp, in Gosberton Clough, said travellers there would ideally like to stay where they are but would move if the new camps have all the facilities they require.

He added: "To be honest we have been here three-and-a-half years and I just don't feel like we are any further on.

"Obviously we would rather be left where we are. Hopefully we can get this sorted out and as long as we are left with something which belongs to us – we own it – then fair enough."