Travellers still in town as police investigate - Staffordshire

From the Burton Mail

A GROUP of Travellers are still camped just yards away from Burton’s Bargates site – as police continue to determine whether they are there illegally.

The site sprung into life on land off High Street on Monday evening with around about 15 caravans and vehicles taking root.

Officers have visited the site and are still working with partner agencies to try and get to the bottom of whether the Travellers were there lawfully or had been given the landowner’s permission.

There has been no issues in the area since their arrival, Staffordshire Police added.

Inspector Tyrone Kerr, commander of the East Staffordshire local policing team, said: “This is something we are aware of. It is our job to find out who these people are and whether they have lawful right to stay there. If this is the case then they are welcome to stop there with the landowner’s permission.”

This is the first time that Travellers have set up camp in the town since last summer.

On that occasion, four caravans and several cars mounted verges and took up car parking spaces at the car park adjacent to Burton Library and the Trent Washlands in June.

Despite being handed an enforcement notice, the Travellers remained on the site for four days.