A court order has been issued to stop a family of travellers reoccupying unauthorised encampments on the outskirts of York and Malton.

A judge sitting at York County Court has approved North Yorkshire County Council's application for an order against the Smith family.

Ida Smith and eight or nine other members of her family have now moved off an unauthorised site at Holtby Lane, within the City of York Council's area, and pitched camp at Harton Lane, off the A64 in the Ryedale district.

A city council spokeswoman said: "The council had started taking legal proceedings. A repossession order was issued and it was about to come to court, but they left just before it did so."

Alan Burns, highway maintenance manager with North Yorkshire County Council, said its court order was intended to prevent the Smith family reoccupying Castle Howard Road, Swinton Lane, Braygate Street and Broughton Lane on the western outskirts of Malton.

He said it also applied to part of Rudcar Lane, Brockfield Lane and part of Common Lane, Warthill, on the edge of York.

"They have moved with 38 horses - they tell us they own 50 horses - and are currently on Harton Lane, just off the A64 at Harton Lodge Plantation."

Mr Burns said: "They have two caravans, three vehicles, a mobile hen hut and the 38 horses with them."

Last April, the Smith family moved on from an illegal encampment in Castle Howard Road, Malton, after spending several months on the roadside and then on nearby land belonging to Fitzwilliam (Malton) Estates.

County councillor Mike Knaggs (Con, Malton) later claimed at a highways sub-committee meeting that the site had been left a health hazard; fences and railings had been removed; and public footpaths used as latrines.

l Ryedale District Council is to seek a county court order next week to evict a family of travellers who have occupied part of the Wentworth Street car park in Malton since just before Christmas. Michael Farrow and his family are protesting about the management style of the National Gipsy Council, which runs the official Travellers Garth site in York Road, Malton, on behalf of the district council.

Steve Oldridge, Ryedale's head of environmental health and housing, confirmed that the council would be seeking an eviction order. "We will also be trying for an order to prevent them occupying any district council car parks."

He added: "We are keeping pitches available for the family on our site."

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