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MINETY gipsy Donna Stevens has broken her silence to speak out against her community's proposed move to Wootton Bassett.

In the first interview given on behalf of the 60-strong gipsy community, Donna says the gipsy families are sickened and saddened at the prospect of moving again.

"We aren't a herd of animals," she said.

"We won't be snatched from somewhere we have come to call home just to be shoved where we are not wanted, where we'll be loathed by neighbours and where our kids will be shouted at in the street."

For Donna, the above description has been something she had become accustomed to in her 28 years as a traveller.

But now the mum-of-two says she wants to settle and raise her children in a stable environment.

"I don't want my children to go from school to school, the constant need for acceptance will mean they'll never settle down.

"They're at school now and they're settled and happy. I think if we were moved away from Minety I would stop them going to school because I don't want them to go through the name-calling I did when I was little."

Donna sets her community apart from other travellers saying they have always strived to gain acceptance in Minety.

She says the community is far from the common stereotype that Minety travellers all live in open-plan static homes. She says the families pay council tax, income tax, national insurance and water and electricity bills.

"There's only a very small minority from the village who are still not satisfied we are here but it has been five years and the villagers realise now that we are not trouble makers.

"Our kids who were once pointed at in the street are now welcome at birthday parties and hugged by their friends in the playground."

Donna thinks that rogue travellers and movies are to blame for public perception towards gipsies.

Films such as Snatch, in which Brad Pitt plays Irish gipsy Mickey O'Neil, haven't done the group any favours she says.

"It was so false, so awful we thought Oh God people will think we live like that', and to be honest I think they do,'' she said.

One of the questions brought up by residents living next to the proposed permanent travellers site is Why, if they are gipsies, do they want to settle down?' Donna explained: "The truth is that the adults in this site have travelled all their lives, many of us have not been fortunate enough to have a proper education and as responsible parents we want to ensure our kids have that chance.

"We pay council tax, national insurance, income tax, water rates and electricity bills and are entitled to everything that someone living in a house is.

"The difference is that we don't want to live in a house, we want to live in a static home. It's light, it's airy, it isn't as expensive and living on a site like this one, it feels more open. We might be gipsies or travellers or whatever the ill-informed wants to call us - but last time I checked we were still human."

The council will be starting its six-week consultation period on Friday to consider potential sites. The government has made it clear that councils across the country have to provide enough sites to meet the needs of gipsies and travellers.

8:20am Thursday 8th May 2008

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