VILLAGERS who have been campaigning for more than a year for the closure of a gipsy camp suffered a further setback this week when the High Court put off making a decision on its future.

North Wiltshire District Council applied on Tuesday for an injunction to throw off the 14 caravans that have been moved onto a field bought by the gipsies on the B4040 Minety to Cricklade road.

The judge at the High Court in Bristol listened to the arguments, then said he would need another two to three weeks to come to a decision.

The villagers had hoped that the judge would be able to make a decision that day, and they are angry that they are facing yet another delay. Villager Val Hyland, who lives next door to the site, has been disappointed that the courts have not taken a tougher line.

"It is just not good enough," she said. "We have all got to abide by the law. The judge should uphold the planning laws."

Another neighbour, Maggie Brooks, has been trying to sell a paddock next to the site since they moved in. She said: "They are holding up my life. Having gipsies there does put people off."

The gipsies say they will abide by a ruling forcing them to seek planning permission, but the district council says it has not received a valid application.