A traveller won the right to stay on in a playing field for an extra week after making an emotional plea to magistrates.

James Maughan, who described himself as the head of a family that has set up camp in Ewhurst playing field, Ifield Drive, Crawley, took to the witness stand to contest a council application to evict them.

Mr Maughan explained his daughter, who lives in one of the family's 12 vans, needed to remain on site because she was receiving medical treatment following complications during a recent childbirth.

He rejected a compromise suggestion by magistrates that permission could be granted for that one caravan to stay on the site if the rest were moved.

He said: "Our experience in other areas has shown that one or two caravans on their own can become the target of attack from local people opposed to our lifestyle."

Mr Maughan told Crawley magistrates his group always left a site tidy and took all rubbish to the local amenity tip.

Ian Faibairn, representing Crawley Borough Council, told the court complaints had been received from neighbours.

He added that council officers had served notice on the occupiers of the caravans that an order was being sought for their removal.

Magistrates ruled that most of the caravans should be removed immediately but dispensation was granted for two of them to remain on the site for the next six days.