About a dozen protestors are living in tree houses

Planning officials in Derbyshire have lost their attempt to evict the protestors, who are perched in trees near the Nine Ladies stone circle in Stanton-in-the-Peak.

The officials said the tree houses at the site of an old quarry were "permanent structures" and set a dangerous precedent.

But a ruling from a planning committee said the tree houses were moved around, so they did not count as permanent structures.

Fear of eviction

The protestors have lived in the trees since 1999 in an attempt to stop new quarrying in the area, which is part of the Peak District National Park.

One protestor told BBC News: "They're trying to use planning law to put pressure on the landowners to evict us."

But after the decision to let them stay, another protestor said: "The land needs defending, if we are not there to defend it, then the quarries will be there to destroy it."