A bank holiday "land grab" on greenbelt in Sawbridgeworth, East Hertfordshire, in which bulldozers cleared a wildlife-rich field, has been halted after hundreds of local residents staged an overnight protest. Diggers and vans left the site on Sheering Mill Lane on Monday morning after Hertfordshire Police enforced a High Court injunction, with officers set to remain and patrol the area throughout the day. The episode has caused anger locally and drawn political attention, with the area's Labour MP calling for stronger legal powers for councils to stop such unauthorised development quickly.

Work began on Friday when lorries, fencing and heavy machinery arrived, with hardstanding laid and fences erected to create five plots, and two caravans brought onto land where muntjac deer are said to roam. East Herts Council had issued a temporary stop notice on Saturday, which it says was ignored, prompting the successful High Court injunction application; the council confirmed no arrests were needed once police intervened. Sawbridgeworth's mayor, Angus Parsad-Wyatt, praised the "incredible cross-community effort," while the council said it would keep monitoring the site with police to prevent further unauthorised works.