text: A gipsy group who exploited human rights laws to stay in their illegal camp for more than five years have won another legal battle to stay - in a fight that has cost taxpayers £200,000. The 78 Irish travellers, who hail from just four families, had refused to budge despite facing three different courts, a planning inquiry and a council. And locals in Hardhorn, Lancashire, accused the group  of trashing their leafy village - and branded them the 'neighbours from hell'. A gipsy group who exploited human rights laws to stay in their illegal camp for more than five years have won another legal battle to stay . The group claimed the eviction 'violated' the human rights of the 39 children living on the site in 60 caravans . Last October, the camp, which had flouted planning rules, appeared to have lost its case after the travellers were told to move out by the Court of Appeal. But despite being given four months to leave the site without the chance to appeal, the group used a loophole to take their case to the Supreme Court. They claimed the eviction 'violated' the human rights of the 39 children living on the site in 60 caravans. The Supreme Court later rejected pleas for the group to be allowed the right of appeal under a 'point of law of general public importance.' But now it has been revealed that a further judicial review at the High Court has been granted. Fylde Council said that fighting the 'Battle of Hardhorn' has already cost the local authority £200,000 in legal fees which will be met by the public purse. Parish councillor Maxine Chew said: 'It is a disgrace that a shocking amount of public money has been spent fighting this. 'The travellers really have been the neighbours from hell. The amount of anti-social behaviour like fly tipping, theft, drunkenness has escalated hugely in the past four years since the travellers set up camp.' The camp (pictured) appeared to have lost its case after the travellers were told to move out by the Court of Appeal last year . A village spokesman added: 'After five years five months the travellers site have fought every decision, we believe that they have used legal aid to fight the Secretary of State and Fylde BC. 'The question what we would like to know is how these people qualified for legal aid? Using taxpayers' money to fight the taxpayer!' He added the decision to hold a judicial review on the grounds presented is 'totally wrong'. 'This community will be devastated with this news as we have been so patient and have endured over 450 negative incidents over the five-plus years. 'Over eight caravans set on fire to burn refuse, horses killed & dogs killed on the road from the site, drunken labourers asleep in gardens, police raids and many cases of ASB. 'The judge might have had a different view if he lived by this site. We wanted this ordeal to come to an end. There are or have been three houses for sale in Hardhorn and not one has sold in the 5 years. 'How can the application that is being challenged suddenly be overturned using a new application, the hearing was on the old application.' A judge gave permission for the judicial review application to proceed after arguments over legal technicalities regarding the processes of planning permission. Fylde Council said the legal battle has already cost the local authority £200,000 which will be met by the public purse . The saga began after a field in the village was sold by a farmer to a travelling family from West Yorkshire . The full judicial review will be held on either July 29 or 30. The saga began in November 2009 after a field in the village - which featured in BBC's Gardeners World - was sold by a farmer to a travelling family from West Yorkshire. The travellers then set up camp after sneaking in during the the dead night in what neighbours described as a 'military-style operation' and after council offices had closed for the weekend . The group of around 30 adults and 40 children, from Irish and Scottish families, immediately began work laying foundations under outdoor spot lights. Angry villagers wrote to local councillors, raising concerns about noise, road safety and a potential drop in house prices with one saying he and his wife had not been able to sleep due to noise from the site. Locals had complained of the travellers leaving generators running 24 hours a day, poaching, trespassing, and leaving dogs to bark all night, while others had complained they had been verbally abused. Officials at Fylde District Council later went to a district judge to stop the group laying hardcore foundations to make their 2.4 hectare site more permanent. They were granted an injunction banning the travellers from bringing more caravans onto the land but were ordered to allow them to bring water to the site and to use power generators. Locals in Hardhorn, Lancashire (pictured above) accused the camp's (pictured nearby) occupants of trashing their leafy village . But in 2010, a county court judge then told the authorities to 'use their best endeavours' to help the travellers get a post code for the land from the Post Office. At the time, the travellers argued they needed a postcode to help fire and ambulance crews find them if they were in need of an emergency - and the ruling meant they could also apply for state benefits, plus utilities including gas electricity and water. The group then applied for planning permission to stay on the fields for good and proposed to install further utility buildings, cesspools, fencing and hardstandings. Fylde Council refused the group retrospective planning permission and issued an enforcement notice instead demanding that they move off the site. An inspector at a planning inquiry also ruled that they had to leave. But a travellers group representative Elizabeth Collins then appealed and took the matter to the High Court in September 2012. There, another judge ruled the planning inspector's decision should stand. He also ordered Miss Collins to pay £8,000 in costs. The group were initially given until July last year to quit - but just days before the council's deadline for the travellers to move, Miss Collins lodged an appeal which further delayed the eviction. Arguing the enforcement notices were 'unlawful', she said the eviction would force her and her extended family on to the roadside, which will have a major impact on the children living on the site. She added that the children's human rights were 'violated' as eviction would affect their health and educational prospects.
target: Irish travellers have refused to budge from site in Hardhorn, Lancashire .
  Last October, the group were told to move out by the Court of Appeal .
  They took case to Supreme Court arguing eviction 'violated' human rights of 39 children living on the site .
  Locals say they have suffered due to 'neighbours from hell' for five years .