IT WAS a case of mistaken identity when a parish councillor spotted goings-on at the ’Great Wall of Liverton’ .

The 3m-high concrete wall protects a storage compound owned by Devon County Council used by the Highways department.

Lying next to Drum Bridges roundabout on the A38, the site has been subjected to a series of break-ins over the past few years, when bands of travellers have set up home at this time of year, and leaving the county council with a big clean-up bill when the departed. Once they spent an entire winter pitched on the illegal site.

Blocks and boulders were placed across the entrance in an effort to deter the unwanted guests, but these were quickly dragged to one side on the last occasion. Police were called to assist the eviction of the travellers on that occasion.

It was only when the concrete wall was erected earlier this year that the site was made secure and all was well... but the legacy has been an atmosphere of suspicion.

As dusk fell on Monday evening an unmarked digger was spotted by an Ilsington parish councillor who was driving past.

’It was about 4.45pm and getting dark when I saw the digger by the wall,’ he said.

’It was a small excavator with no company markings on it, and it looked suspicious.

’It was working to the right of the wall and seemed to be ripping out shrubs and bushes.’

’I thought it was a bit odd to be working in the dark, and when some residents called me to say it looked like someone was breaking in, fearing the worst, I called the police.’

By the time the police arrived the digger had gone.

The parish councillor visited the site at first light the next morning. All was quiet but he could see the damage to the area.

’There were no marks on the wall but a section of undergrowth had been removed to the right.’

All wasn’t what it seemed though, as later that day a team of fencing contractors turned up. By mid-morning they were working on installing a further 25m of security fencing, stretching past the exposed spot.

Fencer Dan Woollacott said: ’We were working nearby and finished our job earlier than expected, so we just turned up unannounced to get a head start.’

A piqued but relieved parish councillor said: ’It’s nice to know security is being stepped up as we are always watching out for incidents there.

’However, we saw some wooden markers had been put there a while back and for the last two months have been trying to get information from Devon County Council about them and if any work was planned.

’If they had bothered to inform us the work was going ahead our concerns would have been allayed.’