The site plans had been supported by Devon and Cornwall Police

The authority had drawn up plans for permanent transit sites near Shillingford Abbot, Ipplepen, Denbury and Fremington.

Residents in the proposed areas held meetings that were attended by hundreds of locals opposed to the plans.

The council said it would continue to try to find appropriate locations for "well-managed, official sites".

Last week, the council's Conservative group called for the plans to be abandoned, citing "overwhelming" public concern, just before a series of public consultations.

The council will continue its efforts to find appropriate locations for well-managed, official sites Devon County Council spokesman

The decision to withdraw the planning applications was taken by the county solicitor in consultation with leaders of the council's all-party administration.

A council spokesman said: "The council gave a commitment when it announced its proposals that it would not take a final decision until it had considered the public consultation responses.

"It is clear from the responses to date that the right and proper course of action now must be to withdraw the applications."

Tenant farmers Sue and Peter Slade, whose farm at Ipplepen would have housed one proposed site, said "common sense had prevailed".

Mrs Slade said: "For us, even if it had been a commercial caravan site planned, we still would have had the same issues.

"For us, it was in the wrong position. It was in the middle of our farm, which brings up biosecurity issues.

Hundreds of people protested against the planned traveller sites

"There are also so many brownfield sites around. These should be looked into, not just greenfield sites."

Peter Slade added: "These sites are also Devon County Council smallholdings farms.

"These farms are for young farmers to start in the industry, progress up the ladder, and hopefully move up to larger units.

"If they take these units away, where are these farmers going to start?"

Though the decision to withdraw the plans may please residents in the villages concerned, it does not solve the problem of the need for sites in the future.

A drop in the number of sites available in recent years has caused more travellers to set up illegally, the council said. The county has seen a 60% rise in illegal sites in the past couple of years.

"The county council will continue its efforts to find appropriate locations for well-managed, official sites, and will consider further how best to involve communities, partners and stakeholders in the future," said the spokesman.