A groundbreaking public inquiry to decide the future of a 56-strong group of gypsies in Minety has ended with the travellers and villagers agreeing it is too close to call.

Minety Action Group leader Verina Hyland accused the inquiry's inspector, Andrew Kirby, of favouring the gypsies.

Meanwhile, the Minety gypsy representative, Maggie Smith-Bendall, has been labelled as racist.

Both sides now face a nervous 16-week wait before the inspector publishes his report, with the Deputy Prime Minister making the final decision.

North Wiltshire district councillor Doreen Darby said: "Everyone had their chance. We have put up a vigorous case but it could be a close call. If the inspector finds against us it will have a big effect regionally. It will encourage gypsies that this is the way to get planning permission."

Minety residents say the gypsies flouted planning law when they moved in and set up a 16-pitch caravan site on a field they own off Sambourne Road on August 9 and 10, 2003.

North Wiltshire District Council applied for an injunction to remove them, but last August High Court Judge John Weeks decided the gypsy families could stay until the inquiry which began on February 1 was held.

A fiery encounter between David Fletcher, the district council's barrister, and Mrs Smith-Bendall took centre stage on Thursday last week.

The main thrust of Mr Fletcher's questioning to Mrs Smith-Bendall was why the gypsies failed to get planning permission before moving onto the site.

Mrs Smith Bendall said it was a waste of time to do so because the district council discriminated against gypsies, whom she described as English Romanies.

She said: "I think the Minety site is suitable. It is within walking distance of the village and it can house 16 families.

"There are no other sites in the county. Successive governments have been sweeping my people under the carpet."

Early in the inquiry, the county council said it was negotiating to buy a two-acre site in Thingley, near Chippenham, to resettle the gypsies.

But during the legal sparring with Mr Fletcher, Mrs Smith-Bendall discounted the proposal.

She argued the English Romany

gypsies would be incompatible at the Thingley site with Irish travellers

already there.

She said: "There are many police

reports on the Thingley site.

"More than one Irish traveller

family has been involved in an incident there. If you are not compatible you lose your pitch and you are back on the highway."

Mr Fletcher suggested Mrs Smith-Bendall was being racist herself by saying the Minety gypsies and travellers should be kept separate.

North Wiltshire MP James Gray also attended and slammed Mrs Smith-Bendall's comments.

He said: "I entirely respect the rights of people but gypsies do not have unique rights.

"The site at Minety is illegal and should be removed. They invaded then put in a planning application afterwards.

"I think Wiltshire has been very

accommodating in providing sites for gypsies."

Reacting angrily to Mr Kirby's handling of the inquiry, Mrs Hyland said: "I can feel the steely hand of John Prescott (Deputy Prime Minister) all over the inquiry. It is a disgrace and overtly biased towards the gypsies.

"I can understand the inspector is being helpful to the gypsies, but he is here to hear the facts. In the village we have raised over £11,000 to hire a

barrister but we did not realise we were taking on the Deputy Prime Minister."

Barrister David Park represented the Minety Action group on Friday.

He said: "This case has attracted interest across the country.

"The reason for that interest stems from the most blatant breach of planning control by the appellants encouraged and perhaps even organised by leaders in the gypsy community. Their behaviour has been copied by others."

Defending the gypsies, solicitor Brian Cox said the district council needed to carry out a proper assessment of the gypsies' needs.

He added no offences had been recorded by police on the gypsy site.