POLICE were called by a farmer's wife on Tuesday as she struggled alone to prevent a convoy of travellers from moving onto one of her fields.

It is the third time in four years that travellers have moved onto the site at South Treviddo farm, just off the A38 at Horningtops. In the last incident in March 2012 it was three months before enforcement action was taken to move them off the land.

The farming couple, who don't want to be named, are tenants on the Cornwall Council-owned land, and say they have had enough. They want 'drastic action' to be taken to prevent travellers parking on their land again.

The farmer's wife said that after the travellers left last year her husband blocked the gateway to the field with a large pile of dung to prevent re-entry.

That worked, she said, but the travellers went to another gate, broke a padlock and threw a large bale of rotting silage into the road to gain access to the field.

'When I got there, having received a warning phone call from a neighbour, one vehicle pulling a caravan had already gone in. I pulled into the field and told them to get out but they wouldn't budge so I jammed the entrance, and locked my car doors. When the police arrived I was being verbally abused. I was shaking with anger that once again we were having to put up with this unwelcome invasion and I was also frightened.

'The convoy of 13 was then blocking the lane almost up to the junction with the A38. They eventually got in by breaking the padlocks and chains on two more gates to drive around into the field they wanted,' she said.

A young couple who rent a house from the tenant farmers arrived home with their three small children at the same time, at around 5.30pm, after a day out at Falmouth, and were unable to get to their home.

Builder Jude Grice and his wife Chloe say they love their 'idyllic home' in the countryside but are thinking of moving because of the travellers.

Chloe said: 'We can't carry on living here if this is going to keep happening. We have our children to think about.

'I was so angry that after a lovely day out we arrived back to be confronted by this massive altercation. They were taking away our rights to get into our home and feed and put our children to bed.

'They completely blocked the road. I went down the line asking them to pull over but they wouldn't. We are a hard- working, tax-paying family, and our rights were being taken away. They were rude and showed no respect for us at all. It was two hours before we could get to our house.'

The farmer said that because the land is council owned, the travellers seem to think they have a right to use it. 'Because I am the tenant I am responsible for the clean- up. After they left last year it cost us £1,500 to clear the field of a disgusting mess,' he said. 'I had already lost the silage for my cattle and had to plough and re-seed. I will have to do the same again this year.

'Something drastic has to be done. I will suggest to Cornwall Council we take down the gates, block the fields and block off the shortcut from the fields back to the A38.'

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: 'We are aware travellers have moved onto the land which is council owned. We understand the police will visit the travellers with the tenant who will formally request them to leave.

'If they do not leave voluntarily then the council will need to apply for a court order to get them removed.'