Eco-warriors have vowed to mount a permanent treetop vigil until plans to build the £92 million A130 bypass are reversed.

The band of up to 50 environmentalists say they will stay at their Rettendon treetop site until road developers scrap the scheme.

The group is working hard to set up more treehouses and dig tunnels in woods close to All Saints Church on the A130. Work is expected to start on the road in September.

Campaigner Jo Wilding, 25, said the activists decided action must be taken after reading about the proposed dual carriageway, which aims to relieve traffic problems for Rettendon, Howe Green and Rawreth.

She said: "We feel a new road is completely unnecessary and are here to provide a focus for local opposition. It is going to take out some beautiful woodland and green areas. There were three alternative routes but they've chosen the most damaging.

"Instead of this they could be building a much smaller road just going around Rettendon or developing the high speed rail link."

Treehouses have already been built at the camp and tunnels are planned. They will be used when developers ultimately arrive to evict the warriors.

Jo, from Sussex, said: "The idea is that we leap into the trees or tunnels to stop them being able to throw us out.

"We will stay here until they do succeed and we think we've got a good chance. It will cost them a lot of time and money to get rid of us. This road is privately financed and the idea is for it to make a profit.

"Surrounding land will eventually be sold off for homes and supermarkets and more cars will end up being used."

She added that even if her group does get moved on, they will simply set up camp elsewhere on the proposed nine mile route.

Locals opposed to the road plans have already offered their support to the protesters and brought them gifts. Vegetables are being grown to keep the tree camp as self-sufficient as possible. Jo, who has just arrived from the site of a similar development in Bristol, believes the camp will continue to grow as more and more environmentalists hear what is happening and arrive in support.

Canvey county councillor Ray Howard, chairman of the county's highways committee, said: "I am aware of the environmentalists and the matter is being investigated.

"Every member of county hall, on all sides, voted for this bypass and the decision was unanimously supported."

Colin Cranley, spokesman for the county council's highway department, said: "At the moment we don't own the land the camp is on. We are interested observers but we're not in a position to do anything about this yet."

He added that developers would be encouraged to entice vehicles such as HGVs on to the new road with the promise of boosted profits because of the way the scheme is being financed.

Setting up camp - tree defenders Jo and Scott

(Right) Preparing for battle - eco-warriors plan the day they will have to defend their site from road builders

Pictures: STEPHEN LLOYD This Is Essex will continue to provide national news and sports coverage across the bank holiday weekend as usual. Local news and sports will be updated as usual from Tuesday morning. Battle of the bypass

Work on the controversial A130 bypass is expected to begin in the autumn.

The new dual carriageway will run alongside the existing A130 from the A12 in Chelmsford to the A127 between Basildon and Southend.

Campaigners have been fighting for years to get the 15km road in an attempt to alleviate traffic problems for Howe Green, Rettendon and Rawreth.

It is estimated that between 26,000 and 32,000 vehicles pass through the villages each day on the existing A130.

The accident rate is twice that expected for roads of its class and flow.

The aim of the new bypass is to stop large vehicles such as HGVs rumbling past homes.

It will be built in two stages with the northern section due to open by autumn 2001 and the southern part by early 2004.

A company called CountryRoute - made up of John Laing and Hyder - has been appointed by Essex County Council to design, build, fund and operate the road for 30 years.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.