Tensions are said to be running high among the community in Little Hadham as travellers continue to unlawfully develop a plot of land.
East Herts District Council (EHDC) and Hertfordshire Constabulary were alerted on Good Friday to the group after they arrived on a field, which had been legally purchased, just off Chapel Lane.
Unauthorised work began taking place, prompting officers from EHDC to issue a stop notice preventing any further work.
However the group failed to comply and the following day EHDC instructed a barrister to obtain an injunction, which was served on site the same day.
Despite being ordered to vacate immediately and restore the land within seven days, almost a fortnight later the group remains at the site with tarmac seen delivered on Saturday.
A spokeswoman for EHDC said: “Unfortunately, the defendants have not complied with the terms of the injunction.
“The council is doing everything it can, through the correct legal procedures, to try and stop unauthorised works taking place.
“We will continue to work to get the situation resolved.”
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While police are conducting additional patrols short-term and monitoring the situation, the incident is a civil planning enforcement matter and therefore will be continued to be led by EHDC.
Chief Inspector of East Herts, Stuart Orton, said: “Community tensions are high.
“My primary focus is to maintain community safety and to work with all parties to prevent the escalation of these tensions.
“In company with Liz Watts, the chief executive of East Herts District Council, I met with members of the local community to explain why police were unable to stop vehicles from entering the site.
“Police have no power to intervene in this matter until directed by the High Court.
“However, we are working with the district council to evidence the unlawful development.”
Despite reports that crime has increased locally, CI Orton reassures residents that this is not the case.
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He explained there has been no increase in recorded crime in comparison with other periods through the year.
A spokeswoman from Hertfordshire Constabulary explained calls to police for the area include an incident report from a member of the public on April 23 to say that she had been approached by two men in a vehicle while walking her dog in Little Hadham.
One of the men then made reference to the unauthorised works taking place in Chapel Lane, while smiling at her.
This made the woman feel intimidated and uncomfortable.
The men then drove off. The incident has been referred to the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, which is currently conducting increased patrols in the area.
Police were also contacted to report a public order offence which occurred on Church Lane, Much Hadham, at around 4pm on April 19.
It was reported that a man had stopped his vehicle in a lane near the church when a second vehicle, which had been following behind him, stopped next to him.
The driver of the second vehicle wound down his window and spoke to the man in a manner which made him feel threatened and intimidated, before driving off.
With this in mind, police say valuable police resources cannot continuously be put into the area if there is not the demand for crime.
CI Orton added: “Whilst I have tasked a dedicated patrol to manage community tension in the short term, I’ve got to acknowledge that there will be competing demand elsewhere.
“I cannot dedicate a police resource into this area indefinitely and I am working with East Herts District Council to identify viable alternatives.”
In order to deal with the community tensions officers, including CI Orton, have met with residents and an officer attended the village farmers market on Saturday morning.
“I have to manage the ongoing tensions going forward,” said CI Orton.
“I have to have dialogue with the travellers on that site and I have to maintain a work relationship with members of the local community.
“I have allocated a local Safer Neighbourhood Team officer as a point of contact for the new occupants of the site.
“If I lose dialogue and all parties become entrenched then I won’t be able to work together with the district council to deal with any issues that might arise from the presence of that site.
“I am working with a small group of local residents to ensure that proportionate messages are shared locally.
“I would like to urge members of the local community to ensure that rumour and speculation do not increase tensions that are already running high.
“In this context, my officers will take all lawful steps to ensure that any criminal offences are investigated thoroughly and expeditiously.
“My primary focus is to maintain community safety and the welfare of all concerned - that’s local residents and the travellers.”