A TRAVELLER has complained he has been stuck on a patch of land for a week after it was blocked off by the council.

Richard Brannan set up home at the 39 Acres site off Ditchling Road, Brighton, four weeks ago, and says he has been living peacefully on his own.

However, last Friday, he noticed he was unable to leave because the area was blocked off at the entrance and exit.

Mr Brannan, 52, said: “I have been staying in my mobile home with my pets.

“I am having to walk almost a mile to get water from a garage every day.

“I need to get out.”

Mr Brannan, a painter from Newcastle, said he could initially not leave the field because the brakes on his car were not working properly and he was waiting to see a mechanic to fix the problem.

He said: “The council warned me on the Wednesday they would be blocking the area off but I was waiting for the car to be looked at.

“Then on Friday it was blocked.”

He said the council used three tree trunks to seal the site.

However, he says he does not hold a grudge against the council officer

He added: “The council liaison officer who came here was quite amicable, never rude. I just want to get moved now.”

Mr Brannan, who has lived from site to site in Brighton for the past year, said he does not know what his next move is.

He said: “I just need to get out of here first. Then, I don’t know.”

He said once the council had moved the tree trunks, he will then go to get his car fixed at a nearby garage.

He said the predicament was also costing him money as he cannot get to work.

But he claims this is not the only thing making it hard for him a financially. He said: “I usually shop at Lidl, which is really cheap.

“But I am having to shop at Asda now.

“I get some things at Lidl for 30p, for example, but in Asda it is £1.20.”

He is now awaiting a court order to force him to move, which Brighton and Hove City Council has said it is in the process of issuing.

A council spokesman said: “We have not purposely blocked Mr Brannan, who is actually trespassing, on to the land at 39 Acres.

“He fully knew we were blocking this entrance to the site to stop other trespassers and he had told the council he did not need to move his van until we served him with a court order, which will take place as soon as possible.

“Mr Brannan has also told us he can come and go easily from the site as he has both a push bike and a car that he parks outside the land.

“Mr Brannan is well known to the council and has our phone number so if he now wants to leave the site we will arrange for the entrance to be unblocked. We will however block the site again to stop other trespassers.”