Sutton Councillor Jayne McCoy stars in My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding - London

From This Is Local London

A councillor found herself the voice of authority on one of the countries most popular TV shows this week.

On this week's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, Jayne McCoy, Sutton Council's housing and economy spokesman, called for more authorised sites for the travelling community.

The councillor for Wallington South was interviewed as part of the Channel 4 show, which has been known to get 7.4m viewers, about the problem Travellers give to councils.

During the 45 minute programme, the reality TV crew focussed on a travelling group who had been moving around South London for the past year, but mainly moving between Sutton and Croydon, as they prepared for a wedding.

Coun McCoy called for more authorised sites for Travellers as they were a "financial burden" on the state.

She told the show: "We have to clean up after them, liaise with them, and if they refuse to move we have to go to take action.

We need more authorised sites were these people can go without being a nuisance to people who want to make use if the facilities made for them."

Until the mid 1990's councils were forced to provide authorised sites for Travellers.

In one clip in the show, a Sutton Council employee blocked the Travellers from entering a park with his ride-on lawnmower.

Sutton council spent £9,168 clearing 16 illegal encampments between May 2011 and May 2012.

Councillor Jayne McCoy, Chair of Sutton’s housing, economy and business committee, said: "The issue of Travellers setting up camp on open spaces around the borough is one that we have to deal with regularly.

"So I was happy to take part in the programme and, albeit briefly, take the opportunity to discuss the issue and explain the challenges that the local authority faces."