AS many as 1,500 gipsies are expected to travel to the North-East on Monday to attend the funeral of a man who died while in custody.

Police are expecting roads in Stockton to be heavily congested as family and friends of Patrick Lowther arrive in hundreds of vehicles to pay their last respects.

The 33-year-old of Cornfield Road, Stockton, is thought to have died of pneumonia on January 10, eight weeks after being arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area surrounding St Patrick's Church, in Glenfield Road, and Oxbridge cemetery, at the time of the funeral, between 9.30am and 12am.

Yesterday, officers met the four Teesside councils to discuss short-term strategies to deal with any problems before and after the service.

They have also agreed that a long-term policy is needed for travellers staying illegally in the Tees Valley, after major disturbances at a South Bank caravan site last week.

This week, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council acted on two possession orders to move travellers who abused land they were camping on.

Long-term residents at South Bank were driven from a council site by 100 gipsies, who were accused of committing arson, assault and criminal damage.

The remaining caravans were dispersed yesterday and checks were being made to assess the damage