The farmer at the centre of the M25 depot row has spoken of his disgust at the scheme and revealed how he has refused to be “bought off” by the developers.

John Findlay and wife Sally remain the biggest thorn in the side of Skanska Balfour Beatty (SBB), which hopes to build a storage depot and tipping bunds on Green Belt land.

Mr Findlay, whose family have farmed the surrounding land since the early 1920s, is the tenant of the land and is refusing to budge.

The combative 80-year-old is also the co-owner of the company’s preferred site to the west of the motorway near Heronsgate – an option abandoned last year when he refused out of principle to negotiate a cash settlement.

He told the Watford Observer: “The British countryside is not for sale. They [SBB] thought they could get their way just by turning up and waving their wallets around.

“They thought we would just give up; that we would take their money and it would be a done deal. But this is our home and we are privileged to farm this land.

“There has been a farm here for more than 100 years. We have three employees who depend on us for their livelihoods. We have a responsibility to them all.

“We are disgusted at the whole process and the way we have been treated.”

In the Government-endorsed order delivered to Three Rivers District Council last month, SBB expressed a desire to enter the site by last Wednesday.

Mr Findlay, however, has promised to fight them every step of the way and keep land free of “trespassers” until his two month notice period expires.

He says his resolve has been strengthened by an alleged threatening letter he received from the land’s owners demanding that he surrendered his rights to this notice period.

Speaking at a mass public meeting held at the Watersmeet Theatre on Thursday he made his feelings clear.

He said: “I have received a letter saying that if I did not let Balfour Beatty in they would stop my tenancy and refuse to let me back in when the work was done.”

The Watford Observer has contacted the land owners about these allegations but has received no response. Skanska Balfour Beatty also deny putting any pressure on Mr Findlay.