GIPSIES who are to be evicted from green belt land say they have no choice but to set up home in streets, car parks and on football pitches.

The Maughan family, who have lived at Walden's Farm, St Mary Cray, for two years have been given an ultimatum leave by New Year's Eve or go to prison for 28 days.

They are now drawing up a list of possible places to go to.

They own the land on the Crockenhill Road site but do not have planning permission for caravans so Bromley Council is evicting them.

Last month, the Court of Appeal rejected the travellers' bid to stay on the site but the gipsies have not been offered any alternative.

Mother-of-five Winnie Maughan said: "There is no solution. We can't stay but where are we supposed to go? We've told the council we will have no choice but to move to their car park, the streets and football pitches.

"It's awful for the children, they keep asking when we're putting up the Christmas tree but we can't because we have to get ready to go. We aren't asking for anything but some peace and to be left alone."

As of January 1, the five families of the Maughan clan made up of 10 adults, including two pregnant women and an elderly lady, seven children, 15 dogs, 10 horses, a donkey and a chicken will take to the borough's streets and open spaces.

The Maughans say they are devastated because since coming to Walden's Farm, with the help of the Bromley Gypsy/Traveller Project, they have access to healthcare and the children are in school for the first time.

Mrs Maughan, 34, said: "It's a hard life on the road in winter, we just want to be settled. Children are not flowers, you can't just uproot them when you feel like it.

"We want them to have a better life than us. We want them to have an education and go to college and to get good jobs."

The travellers do not want to move into a house because they say the way of life is too different.

James Bellsham-Revell, of the Bromley Gypsy/Traveller Project, says many members of the 1,000 families who have moved into houses in the last 30 years, suffer from depression.

And he says concerns have been raised in the past that forcing gipsies into houses was a form of ethnic cleansing.

There are two travellers' sites in the area but Star Lane, St Mary Cray, has no electricity and the travellers say the site on Old Maidstone Road, Sidcup, needs to be tidied up.

A Bromley Council spokesman insists there are regional and national vacancies on travellers' sites for the Maughan's to go to and these have been discussed with them.

"This is about protecting green belt land and there have been many opportunities for the whole issue to be discussed in court."