COUNCIL chiefs are prepared to waved the white flag of surrender to travellers and gypsies who have been responsible for wreaking thousands of pounds of damage to land in the area.

They could be able to use a network of tolerated sites across Southampton if radical plans by city chiefs are given the green light.

Under the proposals, city bosses want to grade areas where travellers illegally park on council-owned land according to the nuisance they cause residents and businesses.

City chiefs would move quickly to evict travellers on sensitive sites such as those near to housing and local beauty spots, for example Southampton's Common.

Travellers would be tolerated on less sensitive areas such as waste ground away from busy roads and areas of housing.

The plans were unveiled in a draft report published by the city council's Gypsy and Travellers scrutiny panel this week.

They provoked immediate anger from Hampshire's Federation of Small business who said the proposals would effectively mean the council was turning a "blind eye" to people who broke the law.

While Royton Smith, deputy leader of Southampton's Conservative Group, blasted: "I don't think that any areas where travellers trespass deliberately are acceptable."

For the full story, see pages eight and nine of tonight's Daily Echo.