Usti nad Labem - A Czech city bent to mounting pressure yesterday and pulled down a wall separating gypsy council flats from private homes.
Workers turned up before dawn to demolish the wall, whose construction last month to separate a low-income housing estate inhabited mostly by gypsies from private houses across street embarrassed the Czech government abroad.
The demolition followed a decision on Tuesday by Usti nad Labem city council, which also voted to spend 3.6 million crowns (£76,355) to buy the homes of three families who had complained most about noise coming from the gypsy apartments. The barrier on the infamous Maticni Street had been completely removed by late morning, a photographer on the scene said.