They arrived on his picturesque farm three years ago in a threatening convoy of caravans and lorries. And they have remained there illegally ever since.
Desperate for help, Gerald Cleave turned to police ? only to be warned, with frustrating inevitability, that he could be arrested if he tried to force them out himself.
Now officials have finally taken action.
But, astonishingly, that action is to tell Mr Cleave that if the travellers do not move on, it is he who will face prosecution.
The 68-year-old has been informed he faced fines of up to ?20,000 if the 50-strong community remains there today.
He was handed an enforcement notice by the Dartmoor National Park Authority threatening prosecution unless the camp was cleared by midnight last night.
The farmer said the brazen travellers have turned his agricultural land into an eyesore and have even arranged for their post ? including insurance documents and catalogue orders ? to be delivered to his farmhouse.
Yesterday he recalled how he pleaded with the group to leave the one-acre site at Middle Stidson Farm in South Brent, Devon, when they first arrived.
Mr Cleave was shocked when the National Park Authority, which is responsible for planning issues in the area, told him it had no legal powers to evict.
He said police then warned him he could be arrested for assault or criminal damage if he intervened directly.
After the travellers arrived in May 2008, an application to turn the camp into a permanent site was refused. The group was served with an enforcement notice in August last year giving them nine months to leave.
But Mr Cleave was furious when a similar notice was sent to him.
He said: ?It?s ridiculous to think I could be left with a huge fine from all this. I don?t see why I should have to spend thousands getting rid of them. I?d rather go to prison than pay a penny. I have been given notice from Dartmoor National Park Authority that they must leave but they haven?t given me any help.
He described the past three years as a ?living hell? and claimed his ?hands were bound?.
?I?ve owned this land my whole life. It was inherited from my father and I have had to watch as it has been turned into a mess,? he said.
?I?m desperate to get them out so I can get my land back and use it for agricultural land again. As it stands, there are at least 40 vehicles on the land, which is now a sprawling mess with horses and dogs running about.
?I?m at a complete loss as to what to do. I?ve tried everything legally within my powers.
?I could forcibly remove them but might face prosecution. I?ve asked them to leave and they won?t listen to reason, what more can I do? It?s the law of the land and the reason why this country has gone to pot.?
Dartmoor National Park Authority confirmed it had served an enforcement notice to the landowner ruling the travellers must leave.
Stephen Belli, director of planning, said if the group hadn?t moved on, the authority had five options, one of which was prosecuting the owner.
Others included prosecuting the occupiers or imposing a court injunction to imprison those still there.
He said: ?I sympathise with the owner as obviously he didn?t invite them there, but that is an option available to all planning authorities throughout the country.?
The travellers had yesterday put up metal panelling and fencing around the site and posted a notice on the gate which read: ?We live in this property. It is our home and we intend to stay here.?
Another sign read: ?Well nice dogs 4 sale. ?150.?
They later held a huge party with loud music and drinking.
One woman said: ?We won?t be moving. Where are we supposed to go? We have children enrolled in schools around here, and there is a lady in remission from cancer on the site. Now is not the time to move on.?
My opinion, can we not name ad shame with photo the council member who actually issued the order to Mr Cleave. Can we not extend the Watchdog program to include situations like this and combine it with a public vote. Maybe this way we will finally get things sorted.
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