A council planning probe could force a petting farm to close.

A campaign to save the Silver End Petting Farm, based at Brook Farm, has attracted nearly 100 signatures in just three days.

Braintree District Council has told owner Di Poulter she does not have permission to live on a temporary caravan on site and she must move out by yesterday.

Miss Poulter now fears the petting farm, which includes alpacas, sheep, ducks, chickens, geese, Shetland ponies, dogs and horses, may have to close.

She said: “If I’m not here, anyone can smash things. We already have problems with people letting the animals out."