Moray Council is trying to evict a family of travellers from a site they have occupied for 14 years – because officials fear their health could be at risk.
The local authority says the plot at Keith’s Cottage Wood where the McPhees have stayed since 2001 is a contaminated former rubbish dump.
It has already told the family to be off the “toxic” land to the west of the town’s golf club before the end of this month.
But the McPhees have vowed to fight to keep their home.
Moray Council leader Stewart Cree said last night the eviction was motivated by a “duty of care”.
He said: “It has been discovered that ground on which they are encamped is toxic.
“It was used at one time as a rubbish dump. This was only discovered recently.
“The eviction is nothing to do with the fact it is travellers on there. It is the fact the council has a duty of care.
“They have been there for some time, but it is a health risk. We cannot allow anyone to live on contaminated land.
“There is a great deal being done to try and make this as acceptable as possible to the travelling family.
“We have to think of their safety and the safety of the children.”
But family spokesman Alexander McPhee said: “The council are saying the ground is contaminated when I have a letter here saying they don’t have the money to do further investigation into it.
“We have been here 14 years. We are going to fight it.
“The eviction order says they want the land back. The toxic thing is just an excuse they are trying to use.
“They are saying they want to replant it with trees. How can they do that if it is contaminated?
“We don’t bother anybody up here, but this is just going to cause a big uproar.
“There is maybe going to be 20-30 trailers all over Keith.
“They told us we have to October 26 to remove everything. We are currently fighting it and we are going nowhere.”
A Moray Council spokesman said a decree for eviction had been granted at Elgin Sheriff Court.
He added: “We have given them until 10am on Monday, October 26, to move and we’ll have sheriff officers there at that time to make sure everything goes smoothly.”