A Carmarthenshire family of seven who live in three caravans have launched a High Court challenge over a council's decision to evict them.

Margaret Price, an Irish traveller by descent through many generations, has lived in a travelling caravan all of her life.

There is nowhere else in the council's area where Ms Price and her group can go to, to be tolerated Defending Stephen Knafler

Ms Price now lives in several vehicles with her six children in an area described as wasteland known as Prince Charles Gardens in Llanelli.

At a hearing in London on Friday, the court was told the local authority claimed to have discharged its duty to accommodate the family after Ms Price had repeatedly refused tenancy of a house.

Ms Price had applied for housing assistance for her and her two adult children as well as others aged 16, 12, four and one.

Defending Stephen Knafler, said Ms Price was "unable to bring herself to take up this offer, because it was of settled accommodation in a house, which she abhors on account of being a traveller".

The court was told there was no designated, official or unofficial site, available to the family in the Llanelli area so they could maintain their traditional way of life as travellers in caravans.

Human rights

"There is nowhere else in the council's area where Ms Price and her group can go to, to be tolerated even for a short period of time on an unlawful basis," said Mr Knafler.

"If such an area is identified, which is considered by the council to be less annoying, then Ms Price and her group will go there."

Mr Knafler argued that for Carmarthenshire council to request the family to leave amounted to "an interference with their private and family lives in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights".

The court heard that there was no evidence or suggestion that the family had caused any kind of nuisance.

Mr Justice Newman, who has been asked to put a halt to the council's moves, is expected to reserve his decision in order to give it in writing at a later date.