Travellers set up camp on school playing fields - Lancashire

From the Lancashire Evening Post

A group of Travellers set up camp on school playing fields on their way to a wedding.

The Travellers arrived on land next to Archbishop Temple School in St Vincent’s Road, Fulwood, Preston, on Saturday afternoon.

Police said they attended the makeshift campsite at around 5.30pm that day to speak to representatives from the group.

When the Evening Post visited the scene this afternoon there were around 12 caravans parked on the field.

There were a similar number of cars and two horses grazing on a football pitch behind Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Sports College.

Inspector Darrin Butterworth, from Lancashire Police, said: “There is a travelling community wedding that is occurring in Lancaster today.

“They will be coming to Preston later this afternoon.

“We’ve got resources in place to deal with the number of Travellers expected for a wedding and that is why there has been a build up of caravans in the area.”

He said the Travellers were expected to move on before the end of the weekend.

He said: “We’re not expecting any trouble and we’re not expecting any issues.

“However, that is why we have an appropriate level of resources in place should an incident occur.”

A resident living in Forest Way opposite the playing fields, who did not wish to be named, said he had called the police on Saturday.

But he said there had not been any incidents so far.

He said: “The police came down and spoke to them and then they left them to it.

“Hopefully they will be gone by tomorrow.”

Preston Council leader Peter Rankin said he believed a lot of Travellers were visiting the North West because of Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria.

Coun Rankin said: “It’s now up to the owner of the playing fields, which in this case has got to be Lancashire County Council and Archbishop Temple School.

“If they don’t move on they will need to take out a court order I think.”

Preston Central North County Coun Frank de Molfetta said the school had been made aware of the situation by police and had an understanding the Travellers were set to leave by 7.30am tomorrow.

The Evening Post was unable to reach anybody from the school for comment.