London - The right of gypsies to pursue their traditional lifestyle on their own land was yesterday rejected by the European Court of Human Rights.
The Strasbourg judges dismissed claims that local planning authorities in the UK breached the Human Rights Convention by refusing to allow four families to put their gypsy caravans on land they bought for the purpose.
The planners had interfered with the gypsies' "right to respect for family life", said the judges, but the measures were "in accordance with the law" and "pursued the legitimate aim of protecting the rights of others through preservation of the environment".