TRAVELLERS who have illegally occupied publicly owned land near the old Severn Bridge for more than 10 years could be offered the chance to buy it - by the government.

Parish representatives are furious after Highways Agency chiefs admitted they are considering selling the land - on Sandy Lane near of M48 motorway services area - on the open market without trying to evict the travellers first.

Councillors say that marketing the Green Belt land with the illicit campers still in situ would be tantamount to offering them first refusal - because they would be the only potential buyers.

And because the land was compulsorily purchased in the first place, they are calling for it to be offered back to the "heirs and successors" of the former owner.

Cllr Matthew Riddle, Severn ward representative on South Gloucestershire Council, has written to Highways Agency officials accusing them of "flying in the face of common justice".

"Selling it to the travellers as sitting tenants would be a travesty of justice," said Cllr Riddle. "They have no planning right to be there in the first place and in effect they'd be making a financial gain from unlawfully occupying the site.

"Evicting the travellers before selling the land should be the correct and only course open to the Highways Agency."

He said South Gloucestershire Council offered the travellers a chance to move to a council site in 2003 but they refused.

Aust parish councillor Mike Hawkins said the community would be appalled if the travellers had the opportuniy to purchase the land.

"It should be offered back to the original owners, not a bunch of itinerants who have taken up unauthorised occupation," he said. "It would be rewarding people for their own wrong doing and would be quite unacceptable"

The Highways Agency's letter to the parish council states: "We are considering an option that we proceed with the disposal of this land on the open market with the Gipsies(sic) in situ. However, we have not made any firm decisions and will need to seek Ministers approval in the final decision making process."

Parish clerk Tom Fothergill said the Agency's intentions had only come to light after the council put in a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

"We had a meeting with an Agency official about this site back in December 2003 but nothing has happened since," he said.

When Gazette journalists called at the site this week they were told it was home to two families occupying around six caravans.

No one was prepared to discuss the occupancy or the possibility of acquiring the land if it became available.