PROTESTERS fighting to stop hundreds of homes being built have fallen foul of planning laws themselves.

Brize Norton residents put up dozens of posters and banners in the village against the plans for 700 homes off Burford Road on November 27.

But the next day West Oxfordshire District Council, which earmarked the site for development, hand-delivered a letter to the parish council telling them the posters must be removed within 48 hours.

Residents were told that posters on public property and those on their own property that were larger than 60cm tall were illegal.

Of the eight banners taken down, six were about 75cm by 50cm poster boards, and two measured eight feet by two feet.

Clive Homer, 75, of Station Road, Brize Norton, said: “We find this a really heavy handed reaction to the people of Brize Norton attempting to draw attention to what we believe to be an incredibly bad decision to extend to the east of Carterton.

“We are doing our best to prevent it and will use every route open to us to protest peacefully. The letter is threatening that people will be charged if we do not take them down. It seems to me the people opposing the posters are the ones recommending the planning.”

District council spokesman Carys Davies said: “We are just applying the law in the usual manner.

“Highway regulations do not allow banners on the roadside. Several hundred banners are removed by the council each year. The signs and banners displayed on private land are legal, and remain.”

Mr Homer said about 98 per cent of people living in the 900-strong village are against the expansion.

A consultation on housing plans for West Oxfordshire closes on December 19.

Mr Homer said: “It is ironic that the council is actively seeking out our views in a consultation and here we are trying to express them.”

Brize Norton Parish Council chairman Keith Glazier said: “It has angered the population even more. They are stopping a peaceful protest against a bad planning decision that will forever remove the open space between Brize Norton and Carterton. It is anger against the denial of the freedom to demonstrate.”