A TRAVELLER who was evicted from his land says he wants a court to sort out what he believes is a travesty of justice before his wife dies.

And a friend of Charlie Mabey's is now writing to human rights lawyer Cherie Blair to ask for help.

Mr Mabey purchased a former gypsy haunt and caravan site at Rushall Lane, Corfe Mullen, in 1972 to bring up his family on the land.

He claims his problems started when his plot was wrongly included in four separate planning applications and permission to build a house was granted, on condition the caravans were removed.

East Dorset District Council earmarked the land as green belt in the early 1980s and asked Mr Mabey to remove his caravan.

After years of court cases, the council employed a company to evict Mr Mabey in 1996 and the High Court ordered Mr Mabey to forfeit his land so the eviction expenses could be recovered.

Mr Mabey, now 64, told the Daily Echo he wanted a judge to hear his story before his wife Ketrina, who has multiple sclerosis and is in a nursing home, died.

He said he was prompted to speak out after getting a wrongly delivered letter for a business which is now renting what was his land from the council, paying £1.50 a week to store a seven and a half tonne lorry.

"My wife is very ill. I have been through hell. I want to get up in front of a judge and I want to be heard. I just want to explain my case in my way which I have never been able to do."

Friend Celia Herbert, the former landlady of the Holme Bush Inn, is appealing to Cherie Blair to help.

"If you are going to write to anybody you might as well write to the top person."

EDDC said they had no comment to make at this time.

It is understood the outstanding costs in the case are an estimated £45,000.