ARMED police have been on patrol at Coalpit Lane in Stanthorne after a gypsy encampment was bombarded with manure and shotguns were fired.

A police plane also circled the gypsy site near Middlewich on Monday night for an hour between 11.30pm and 12.30am.

Trouble has been brewing since 6.30pm on Sunday when Winsford and Middlewich farmers gathered in protest to confront the gypsies over their unwanted invasion on farmland.

More than 30 caravans have been pitched on the field, which is owned by a Middlewich woman and leased by a local farmer.

At the scene of the feud on Sunday, when three police vehicles were in attendance, Insp Alan Allman said: "The police situation is that we are here to prevent breach of the peace, to stop trouble or fighting.

"What the farmer has to do is to get an injunction through the courts to get the gypsies off this land, but from his point of view litter is left and his land is damaged.

"The explanation the travellers are giving is that they are here to stay for a couple of days. We can't move them on. We can only try and persuade them to move.

"All we can do is to try and reach a compromise between the two parties."

A spokeswoman for the farmers claimed: "They have threatened to shoot us all but the police will not search their caravans for weapons.

"I do not think it's fair that these people should be allowed to pitch their caravans where they please to avoid paying taxes."

A gypsy, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke on behalf of the families who have settled in Stanthorne.

He said: "The farmers threatened to come and dump cow muck on the site on Sunday night and we were wakened in the early hours of the morning when it was dumped.

"Gun shots were also fired when the police were here on Sunday to warn us away, but when they left it became more noisy. There were about three or four guns and we think people were hid behind the bushes firing them.

"The caravans were showered by the pellets and the shooting went on all night. It frightened the kids to death. My daughter even lay on top of her baby at one point to shield her from the noise.

"We have no public convenience and the children were even too scared to go outside to the toilet.

"When the farmers dumped the manure, we rang the police to come as soon as they could because it is a health risk to us."

He added: "We are going to stay here until the police sort it out. If the council could provide us with a site we would pay them and move there but we would like to be able to choose where to live, not be told where we can and can't.

"Or if we could buy a piece of land we would be happy, but no-one wants us on their doorstep.

"We would love to be able to send our kids to school but more than anything, we just want to be left in peace before somebody gets hurt."

A Cheshire Police spokesman said: "Police have been in attendance at Coalpit Lane since Sunday night and armed police have also been in the area because there have been reports of guns being fired.

"Whenever we have reports of firearms being used an armed patrol moves into the area.

"A farmer has also been arrested for possession of a shotgun and bailed to return to a local police station."

The National Farmers Union announced on Monday that it is backing Winsford and Middlewich farmers in their attempt to move gypsies off private land.

Anthony Wildman, of the NFU for the north west region, said: "The NFU is backing local farmers in their call for public support in an attempt to remove travellers setting up illegal campsites in the area.

"Since the arrival of the travellers in Winsford and Middlewich, farmers' lives have been made a misery.

"One of the farmers concerned is faced with a bill running at thousands of pounds to repair damage and clean up his field.

"The travellers make a mess of the fields, not only with their vehicles but also with rubbish and debris including drainpipes, broken glass, timber and concrete.

"Farmers hope that the whole community will back them in an attempt to get the travellers moved on and are calling for residents to do nothing which could encourage them to stay."

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