Church poised to evict dying gypsy woman

A DYING gypsy woman and her extended family are under threat of eviction from a site owned by the Church Commissioners.

Gypsies from all over the country gathered at the site near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, to take part in a vigil for Eileen Anderson, 29, who has cancer of the liver.

But the commissioners said yesterday that their policy is to remove anyone illegally encamped on their land, regardless of circumstances. A repossession order has been obtained and the site is expected to be cleared shortly.

Mrs Anderson, who has four children aged between 3 and 10, last year had an operation to remove her bowel following an earlier bout of cancer. She is thought to have just weeks to live.

The 4-acre (1.6 hectare) site, originally a vacant plot but now peppered with 30 neatly-kept caravans, lies in the shadow of the Shell oil refinery at Stanlow, adjacent to the M53.

The gypsies say that they intend to leave once Mrs Anderson has died. Relatives travelled to Ellesmere Port three weeks ago from as far as Exeter, Luton and Worcester.

Mrs Anderson is confined to the bed of her 22ft (6.7m) caravan, which is as well-kept as any brick-built suburban semi. Inside, the mod-cons include a microwave and a colour television. Plastic sheeting protects the main bench settee.

George Anderson, 32, said that his wife, who had cancer of the liver diagnosed three months ago, was nervous of going into hospital after her previous illness and 'simply wants to be with her family'. The family, which is Roman Catholic, asked friends who are travelling abroad to say prayers for them at Lourdes, asking for a miracle.

Mr Anderson and his wife have been married for 13 years. He said: 'It's such a shame that it's the Church Commissioners who want us to go because I'm sure if they realised how poorly Eileen is they would be more understanding.

'All we'd like is to be left in peace. The only reason we're here is because Eileen is dying and as soon as this is all over we'll all go our separate ways.

'If we are moved off we can't be sure we'll find a site big enough for all of us. This place is ideal because it's safe for the kids. Nobody bothers us and we don't bother anyone.'

The gypsies have attempted to keep the site clean and stress that they are in no way linked with the New Age movement.

Judith Morton, an Oxford health visitor who has worked with travelling families for six years, and heard of Mrs Anderson's plight through the gypsy's extensive grapevine, said that she was 'horrified' at the commissioners' actions. 'The authorities simply don't understand that this kind of gathering is part of their way of life,' she said.

A spokeswoman for the Church Commissioners said yesterday that a repossession order for the site had been obtained through the courts and the local sheriff was poised to clear the land.

She said that the site - part of the Church of England's huge property portfolio - had a history of occupation by travellers and that the policy was to move them on 'as soon as possible'.

The commissioners had received complaints from local residents and councillors about people encamped on the site.

She said that the commissioners could not make an exception in spite of Mrs Anderson's circumstances. 'We have a duty to our beneficiaries (the clergy) and complaining neighbours,' she said.