Running Rings Around The Authorities…
In
Scotland:
Travellers have established an illegal encampment — just metres from a “half empty” site designed specifically to house them.
Five caravans have parked in a layby opposite the Balmuir Wood Traveller site at Tealing, which is not fully occupied.
Gas canisters and other detritus are also scattered in the layby and locals are concerned as it is often used by bus companies to collect and drop off schoolchildren.
The resident added: “Angus Council has been contacted on four separate occasions and will provide no answers to this ongoing saga.
“Dundee City Council want nothing to do with it as it is not on their land, they say.”
An Angus Council spokesman said: “We are aware of this encampment and will continue to monitor the situation in line with our policies and procedures.”
In
Yorkshire:
Martin Joyce, 42, who grew up in the area and whose mother lives nearby, said the council should have been more pro-active.
“They know travellers arrive at this time of year so they should have been prepared,” he said. “They have left a big field wide open.
“I know the travellers have to go somewhere but they don’t do themselves any favours when they leave a mess behind.”
Mum-of-two Becky Wood, 30, took her two children Lily, four, and 12-month-old Toby to the play area for the first time in two weeks.
“It’s been an absolute nightmare,” she said. “I saw them riding the quad bike and ripping up the field and rang the police but nothing happened.
“We have stayed away from the playground because it’s not safe. It’s the end of the school holidays now.”
Other residents reported that they saw the travellers smash through the gate.
Another man, who asked not to be named, said: “They have forced entry so they should be turfed straight back out.
“The trouble is they know the law better than the lawyers. They know they have a week before the council goes to court and another week before they get evicted. It’s disgraceful.”
In
Brighton:
The pair said: “Requests were made to the police and council to immediately move the caravans and cars.
“This was declined and councillors were advised by police that they believed the travellers would soon move on.
“It was suggested that no more would arrive because of the lack of facilities at the site.”
“Last night 20 more caravans and associated 4WDs were driven on to the Green.
The elderly residents who live round the Green were disturbed into the early hours, with horns blaring and generators running.”
"We are aware of this encampment and will continue to monitor the situation in line with our policies and procedures."
ReplyDeleteIn other words, we'll stand around, drink tea and scratch our arses until the problem goes away.
Just as in other areas, showing you're "diverse & inclusive" takes priority over doing the job you're employed to do, for the people who pay your wages.
There should be some mechanism whereby these asses could be fired by their employers - i.e. us!
Better yet would be the deployment if an Israeli style armoured dozer - give them a 5 min warning and at the end of it just roll along, whey won't be able to leave fast enough.
ReplyDeleteOr the other way would be to wall them in just as a farmer did last week - they left 15 min later.
At the moment, trespass is a civil offence and the Police have no jurisdiction over this. The travellers know this and use it to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteA change in the law to make trespass a criminal offence would be the first step in stopping these parasites from ruining the lives of those who have to suffer their presence. You can start by getting the telephone number of your local councillor and phoning them, continually if necessary, to find out what they are going to do about it. Learning, and phoning, the home numbers of non elected council officials would also help, as would letters, emails, phone calls and visits to your MP demanding action wouldn't do any harm. To beat them, you have to get off your arses and do something about it instead of just complaining to the press after the event. It is in your hands.
Penseivat
"In other words, we'll stand around, drink tea and scratch our arses until the problem goes away."
ReplyDeleteGot it in one!
"Or the other way would be to wall them in just as a farmer did last week - they left 15 min later."
To go be someone else's problem. I prefer the more permanent solution.
"A change in the law to make trespass a criminal offence would be the first step in stopping these parasites from ruining the lives of those who have to suffer their presence. "
I hoped this would be the next step after the squatting legislation was successfully changed.
Alas, it seems that's where the Tory backbone ran out...