Updated: Violent clashes as Dale Farm eviction gets under way

Officers in riot gear entered Dale Farm, near Basildon in Essex, after breaking down a rear fence just after 7am, prompting angry confrontations.

The move came as police and bailiffs held discussions, described by supporters as a distraction, at the main gate.

Essex Police said: "Officers have this morning entered the Dale Farm site following intelligence which informed the commanders that anyone entering the site was likely to come up against violence and a serious breach of the peace would occur.

"Intelligence received indicated protesters had stockpiled various items with the intent of using these against bailiffs and police.

"The first officers on the site were attacked with missiles being thrown, including rocks and liquids. These officers were fully equipped to deal with this situation."

At least 50 officers led the operation to clear the site.

Female residents ran to their homes and broke down in tears as the police line advanced.

Supporters quickly erected barricades inside the site as police held the line, securing the rear area.

Electricity supplies have been cut. Supporters say this has turned off crucial medical equipment belonging to elderly residents.

Supporters chanted: "F*** the police, no justice, no peace."

They also set fire to a caravan placed across the street inside Dale Farm.

Paramedics were escorted on to the site by supporters to treat resident Nora Egan, who claims she suffered back injuries in a confrontation with police.

She said: "This is being led by the police, there is no sign of bailiffs."

Margaret Sheridan also claimed she was injured. "They're rough and there is no reasoning with them."

Kathleen McCarthy, a Dale Farm resident, said: "The memory of Dale Farm will weigh heavily on Britain for generations - we are being dragged out of the only homes we have in this world.

"Our entire community is being ripped apart by Basildon Council and the politicians in Government."

Lily Hayes, a human rights observer, said: "Basildon Council are violating the court order by smashing in the walls of a fully legal plot on the Dale Farm site. They are also acting unnecessarily brutally."

Basildon Council leader Tony Ball condemned the violence.

He said: "The premeditated and organised scenes of violence that we have already seen, with protesters throwing rocks and bricks, threatening police with iron bars and setting fire to a caravan, are shocking.

"These are utterly disgraceful scenes and demonstrate the fact some so-called supporters were always intent on violence.

"Nonetheless we are going to press on with this operation with our partners in a safe, dignified and humane way and will uphold the law."

One protester with a scarf covering her face said: "The police gave many promises to the community that they would only be here as law enforcers to prevent harm coming to bailiffs and harm coming to travellers.

"In fact, the police have come in and caused harm to the travellers, so they have hugely let down the community here."

Resident Kathleen McCarthy claimed three women had been injured by the police. One suffered facial injuries, she said.

Mrs McCarthy added: "We planned to lock on to our homes and resist eviction but not for violence. The police provoked violence with the way they came in.

"We will do our best to stay but it looks like we have no hope."

Bailiffs remained outside the main gate, which was largely intact.

One evicted resident said: "I'm so angry and dismayed that people are actually doing this. The rest of the world is also persecuting people who choose to live differently from the so-called norm.

"They (police and bailiffs) shouldn't be doing it. What I'm hearing is that they are not being as gentle as they would like to believe. People have been pushed over and have hurt themselves.

"You can see from their body language they are not gentle people and hopefully a lot of that is on camera."

Police have used a cherry picker to lift five officers in riot gear to the top of the main scaffold gate.

After initial talks with protesters on top of the gate, the officers lowered themselves on to the platform and began removing bags and other equipment.

At least four protesters remain on top of the gate, where they have been sleeping, and must be removed before the structure can be dismantled.

Protesters chanted and tried to prevent officers climbing on to the platform. They appeared to tie a chain around the cherry picker lift, attaching it to the scaffold.

At 1pm, police lifted a cage up to the platform. The first protester who was chained to the scaffold was removed by three officers and taken to the ground in the cage.