A NORTH-EAST council could become the first in the country to give gipsies tenants' rights at the sites it provides for them.

Durham County Council is considering a move that has been welcomed by the Gypsy Council and is likely to be followed by other authorities in a bid to comply with anti-discrimination laws.

The Labour-run council has six sites, with a total of 113 pitches, at which it could introduce agreements, similar to those for people renting houses, with rights and responsibilities.

At the moment, travellers pay per day they stay at a site, but can be told to move on.

A council spokesman said: "Rather than paying a small amount for each night they stay on a pitch, we are looking at whether to bring in a tenancy arrangement.

"It would be the first time this had been tried in Britain and our cabinet will be looking into the proposal.

"Broadly speaking, it seeks to modernise the way in which we provide for, and manage, gipsy and traveller encampments in County Durham and seeks to establish ways to balance their needs with those of the communities in which they settle without the tensions which can sometimes arise between the two.

"The report will look at the possibility of giving tenancies to gipsies and travellers on our sites - which would be the first scheme of its kind in the country - and an overhaul of current eviction and enforcement procedures, which gives greater recognition to the fact that there is a shortage of provision for gipsies and travellers in the county.''

He added that the county's sites were fully occupied last year and all currently have waiting lists and that it took no legal action last year against unauthorised encampments.

All but one of the encampments was accepted with departure agreed on an agreed date. Most were left in a tidy condition.

Ann Bagehot, secretary of the Gypsy Council, said: "This is something that we welcome very much.

"Gipsies using sites do so under licence, which means they have no rights.

"If a site manager does not like someone he can order them to leave. If you are a tenant he can't do that, you have rights.

"This is something that all councils will have to do eventually, it is something that has come down from the European Parliament. It is bringing gipsies into line with everybody else.''