ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have pledged not to give up in the fight to stop an extension to Winchester's park-and-ride service at Bar End.

The message comes as contractors on the 6.5-acre site are close to completing the controversial 428 parking space project, which is due to be in operation before Christmas.

However, one final obstacle lies in the path of the bulldozers, and that just happens to be the now fortified campsite occupied by the protesters.

Their camp lies on an area of land between the existing park-and-ride facility at Bar End, and the new facility being built on top of a meadow next to it, made when the old A33 was ripped up.

However, the tiny gap of land the protesters have dug themselves into also happens to be the spot where a road linking the two sites is due to be built before the new car park opens.

The protesters moved on to the patch of land in July after realising building contractors had failed to cordon-off the spot when erecting 7ft metal fences around the rest of the site.

The campaigners have now declared the land to be their home under section 6 of the Criminal Law Act of 1977, meaning contractors Mildren Construction, and Hampshire County Council who are funding the build, may find it harder to move them off.

Now the protesters, led by Bryan Reed and veteran campaigner King Arthur Pendragon, have made significant defensive improvement to the camp to avoid eviction if it comes.

Tunnels have been built with concrete reinforcements, a wooden A-frame with living accommodation towers over their tents and a treehouse and tree-top walkway complete the defences.

King Arthur, who was one of the main protagonists during the Twyford Down and Newbury bypass protests, said: "We are simply not giving up on this. What the council have done to the meadow is wrong and should never have happened.

"While we are all in favour of reducing traffic on the roads and improving air quality, we are not in favour of promises being broken.

"This meadow was promised to the people of Winchester when Twyford Down was destroyed for the M3, and it was promised for posterity.

"But less than three years later the authorities had already drawn up plans to destroy the grassland, which is not right.

"There are other places this car park could have been built, where people don't enjoy walking and seeing nature. This meadow should be returned to how it was and we will not give up until that happens."

Hampshire County Council, though, say the car park is much needed by Winchester, not only to cut traffic congestion the centre, but also to improve air quality.

They also insist the build will be finished and the car park will open.