PROTESTERS who have been squatting at an Oxford boatyard for more than eight months could now be days away from eviction but they say they will not leave without a fight.

A group of about 20 campaigners has been living at the Castle Mill boatyard, in Jericho, since August and have been battling against British Waterways in a bid to keep the site for community use.

Their campaign took a turn for the better in February, when Oxford City Council agreed to look into buying the site for the community, but this week it took a turn for the worse.

The protesters had heard a rumour their eviction was imminent and on Wednesday night British Waterways confirmed it would soon be sending the bailiffs in to secure the site, if the squatters did not leave.

A spokesman for British Waterways, Eugene Baston, said: "They were told by the courts to leave by February 28.

"They have not done so, so now we are proceeding to evict.

"We had hoped they would go of their own accord. We appeal to them to do so as there is no defence in law for them being there."

But John Keys, one of the protesters spearheading the boatyard campaign, said they were now heading for a "full-on confrontation".

He said: "This could be resolved peacefully without using bailiffs and brute force, but we will fight this every step of the way. If British Waterways attempts to force us out it's a bad idea."

The protesters had thought negotiations with British Waterways were going well, but they said they now realised this was not the case.

They said they were on high alert and had posted leaflets through hundreds of doors in Jericho in a bid to recruit volunteers to help patrol the boatyard day and night.

Mr Keys said: "We have taken the precaution of asking people from the local community if they would stand shoulder to shoulder with us if British Waterways try to evict us.

"The community seems to be almost 100 per cent behind us and we have already had a positive response.

"We have to show we are a force to be reckoned with."

British Waterways is expecting to receive quotes from seven different developers the city council being one before the deadline for proposals in two weeks' time.

The asking price for the land is £4m.

Mr Baston said: "We want to move forward now and are looking ahead to receiving the best and final bids from the developers.

"The plans have been in place for some time to evict the squatters. If they do not go by the time a deal is agreed with the new developer, they will be evicted.

"We will be handing the site over to the chosen developer."

British Waterways was granted a possession order for the land in December and last week filed for an eviction order.

Oxford author Philip Pullman threw his weight behind the campaign to keep the boatyard open when it first emerged that there was a threat of closure.

Mr Pullman, who featured the boatyard in the His Dark Materials trilogy and has attended numerous events during the campaign, said he believed it played an important role in the Jericho community.