Police have closed the road at the travellers' site

Nuneaton and Bedworth District Council asked the team of a dozen bailiffs to withdraw on Monday lunchtime after a six-hour stand-off between the authorities and the travellers.

Lines of police officers had sealed off both ends of Wolvey Road in Bulkington in north Warwickshire when the bailiffs moved in to attempt to carry out the eviction order.

They were greeted by 7 ft-wide ditches which had been filled with rubbish and set on fire, along with two burning caravans positioned at the entrance to the site.

Around 40 officers from Warwickshire Police sealed off the road and fire engines were on stand by at the scene.

Twenty one families moved onto the land after buying it two-and-a-half years ago.

Fires were lit in ditches and caravans set alight

But the travellers did not apply for planning permission to erect buildings, fences and roads on the greenbelt site.

This means they have been living there illegally and the council has fought an ongoing battle to remove them.

A spokesman for the families said they plan to attempt to prevent the eviction as they have nowhere else to go.

The travellers have asked to be allowed to buy some other land they can develop.

The council has set aside �100,000 to pay for the eviction.

Councillor Bill Hancox, chairman of district council's planning applications committee, said following a consultation with all parties the eviction would not go ahead on Monday.

"Whilst frustrating, the serious implications in disregarding health and safety factors warrant at this stage a temporary suspension of action."