The MP for Bury St Edmunds, David Ruffley, has been granted a debate on the subject in Parliament on Thursday.

It follows concerns from some of his constituents about a new travellers' site at Woolpit, near Elmswell.

Building work has already started, but travellers are only now applying for retrospective planning permission for the camp.

Mr Ruffley wants the government to change the loophole which allows travellers to set up camp without permission.

"Travellers can lose cases on the planning, but they can go on human rights and say 'we have a human right to stay here' no matter what the planning law says.

"Now, I don't think that is a very sensible way of running the British legal system," said Mr Ruffley.