A council has been called 'racist' for not allowing traveller sites to be built in its town.

Crawley Borough Council voted against allowing two highly controversial gypsy sites being built on the outskirts of the town on Tuesday night.

But a spokesman for the Gypsy Council said the council was racist and the town would have sites built "come hell or high water".

She said: "They are going to have these sites built somewhere in Crawley whatever happens and if they continue to fiddle-fuddle along in their own racist way they are going to lose control of what happens.

"They are one of the few councils in the area to still be breaking the law by not providing gypsy sites in Sussex and the Government has said they must be built. The Housing Act dictates there must be provision for travellers and gypsies.

"It is time for the council to grasp the nettle and build them now or face having sites imposed on the town by the government. If they do it now they keep control of where they go and can even get government funding covering 100 per cent of the costs."

The leader of Crawley Borough Council has refuted allegations of racism.

Councillor Chris Redmayne, said: "That sort of comment is not needed and will probably do more damage to my council colleagues than good.

"We are probably one of most multicultural areas in the country. Twelve per cent of our people are from ethnic minorities, rising to 17 per cent in some smaller areas. To call the council racist is totally wide of the mark."

The borough council voted against allowing two gypsy sites, one permanent at Crawley Avenue and one temporary at Rowley Farm, near James Watt Way.

The meeting was held in a packed 850 capacity Hawth Theatre. About 200 people were forced to stay outside because there wasn't room.

Mr Redmayne said there "would have been a riot" if the council voted in favour of the plan and said the atmosphere was "raucous and intimidating" but councillors did not let that determine their decision.

Despite the borough council voting against the idea, its Executive Committee will still have the final say at a meeting held at the K2 leisure centre on January 18.

Council spokesman Janet Treagus said: "I would not like to put money on which way they will vote next time. It is still very open."

Pound Hill Residents Association, which is fiercely opposed to the idea of building the sites, stated after the meeting: "This is a clear demonstration of the overwhelming opposition to this proposal and will be difficult to ignore when the Executive Committee meet on January 18."

The group plans to provide a coach shuttle service for its members and other interested parties to the K2 centre next week.

Mr Redmayne disagreed that the Government would force sites upon the town but did admit there was a need for the town to provide gypsies with accommodation.

He said: "The council is actively trying to find sites and what the council voted last night only means it thinks these particular sites are not appropriate.

"But that doesn't mean we are going to stop looking for others. I'm personally in favour of having the temporary site built at Rowley Farm because I think there is a need.

"But Crawley is a smallish town and wherever we put sites it is going to run into trouble. The executive is going to have to think about this long and hard before it makes a final decision."