2 CONNORS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT There appeared before the Court: (a) for the Government Mr D. WALTON, Mr T. MOULD, Ms V. GOULBURN, Mr D. GLEAVE Advisers; (b) for the applicant Mr A. OFFER, Mr K. LOMAX, Counsel, Solicitor. Agent, Counsel, The Court heard addresses by Mr Mould and Mr Offer. THE FACTS I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE 8. The applicant was born in 1955 and lives in or about Lancashire. 9. The applicant and his family are gypsies. They led a traditional travelling lifestyle until they suffered so much from being moved on with ever increasing frequency and harassment that they settled on the gypsy site run by the local authority at Cottingley Springs. They lived there permanently for about thirteen years, until February 1997 when they moved off. They stated that they moved off the site at that time due to the antisocial behaviour of others living on the site and others who came onto the site, e.g. vehicles being driven round the site at night, violence and disturbances such that they could not sleep at night or the children play safely during the day. They moved into a rented house but were unable to adapt to these conditions. They gave up their tenancy when offered two plots for the family at Cottingley Springs. 10. The applicant returned to the site with his family in October 1998. 11. By a licence agreement dated 22 October 1998, Leeds City Council (“the Council”) granted the applicant and his wife a contractual licence to occupy plot no. 35 at Cottingley Springs caravan site in Leeds. The licence in Clause 12 required the applicant as occupier to comply with the Site Regulations, while Clause 18 stated: “No nuisance is to be caused by the occupier, his guests, nor any member of his family to any other person, including employees of the Council, the occupiers of any other plots on the Site, or occupiers of any land or buildings in the vicinity of the Site.”