PLANNING officials have denied they are giving preferential treatment to the owner of a home who allows caravans to park outside.

Neasham Parish Council said it was going to restate its January complaints to Darlington Borough Council about what it claimed were static caravans at Abbey Farm Cottages.

Parish council chairman John Weighell said: "Villagers are absolutely furious about five static caravans at Abbey Farm Cottages. Some are saying it is like having a travellers' site next door.

"When planning permission was granted two years ago, it was for one static van while the house was being built.

"But we can't get the caravans removed and more seem to be arriving by the day.

"I am sticking my neck on the block, because nobody dare complain. My telephone is ringing every day now because some of them have been moved right round to the front of the house in a semi-circle."

However, a Darlington Borough Council spokesman said there had never been planning permission given for a caravan - because none was needed in such a situation.

And he added planning officers regularly visited the site to check on the situation and had confirmed none of the caravans was static, nor were they permanently on site.

The spokesman said: "The other caravans that come are, in fact, family visiting from time to time. They sometimes stay a week, sometimes longer.

"None of these are permanent and there is no set time they stay for. It doesn't require planning permission."