AN EARLY morning caravan invasion of a rural site just a stone's throw from Bursledon's historic windmill has angered nearby residents.

At least six large residential mobile homes plus two touring caravans moved on to a site at the bottom of Windmill Lane, Bursledon.

A JCB swung into action shifting gravel and carrying out groundwork while men on the site busied themselves creating access points.

Eastleigh council planning chiefs visited the site and are investigating claims from the area's new residents that they own the land.

The planners are also deciding whether newly built water and electrical points have infringed planning rules.

The invasion infuriated Windmill Lane residents who said they had predicted what would happen to Eastleigh council.

Thirty-nine-year-old Kev Longhurst told the Daily Echo: "The council have known for weeks that it was going on. They were putting all the services in and clearing the area.

"The council said it was going to be stables - but you don't have three sets of electrical hook-ups and a cesspit for stables.

"They turned up this morning with the caravans - they moved in really early - and people are very unhappy about it."

Mr Longhurst, who runs a small service engineering company, added: "The whole point of me moving here was to get away from it all. It is a nice rural area, but they seem to be able to do as they please.

"This was suspected and known. Residents are very angry about this."

Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, added: "I contacted the council about it. They have put electric and plumbing in. The council said they had been told it was going to be stables and until they move things on the premises they had to treat it like a stable.

"I don't think anybody in the road was fooled and even the girl at the planning office said she was concerned it was going to be caravans as well. Residents are pretty upset about what is going on down there."

Several men were working on the site on Saturday but when the Daily Echo asked if it was possible to speak to the landowner one man said: "Noone is about at the moment."

A spokesman for Eastleigh council said: "The land is privately owned and the current occupiers have informed us that they are the owners.

"The council has visited the site and is currently investigating whether a planning breach has occurred and what action to take."