Olympic site Gypsies fight removal

Families of Gypsies and Travellers launched a legal challenge today over plans to move them to make way for the Olympic village.

Their lawyers asked a high court judge to rule their human rights were being breached as the country prepares to host the 2012 Olympic Games in east London.

Three mothers are leading the fight against being moved to alternative sites so that construction work can begin.

The campaigners include Lisa Smith and Mary Reilly who both have children at schools near the sites where they live. A third applicant, Julia Reilly, has three children and is registered disabled.

They are challenging the government’s decision in December last year to confirm the London Development Agency (Lower Lea Valley, Olympic and Legacy) compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the land on which the caravan sites stand. Marc Willers, appearing for the three women, argued the CPO was an unlawful interference with their right to private and family life, as protected under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

He told Mr Justice Williams, sitting at London’s high court, that the secretary of state for trade and industry, who confirmed the CPO, was wrong to conclude that the interference occurring was "proportionate and justified".

Mr Willers contended fundamental rights were at stake, including not only the right to respect for home and family life but also respect for their traditional way of life. The government was under a duty under human rights laws to "protect the Gypsy way of life", Mr Willers said. There had been a failure to consider whether it was possible to develop the Olympic site while the families stayed put, he added.

Government lawyers said there was no question of the Olympics project being developed without acquisition of both sites where the families live and claim the Gypsy case is "illfounded".

The hearing is expected to last three days.