Firm acts as Travellers move on to town centre car park - Bolton

TRAVELLERS have moved on to a car park in Bolton town centre — their sixth move in two weeks — leaving commuters struggling to park.

Landowners were yesterday trying to remove the group from the car park in Kay Street. They moved on to the site on Sunday night.

Some drivers were yesterday still trying to park in the remaining spaces while others just drove away.

As well as caravans, Travellers brought cars and vans, quad bikes, generators, satellite TV hook-ups and dogs.

The land belongs to Euro Car Parks and bosses were taking advice from Bolton Council about how to have the travellers removed from the site. Police were also at the scene.

The Travellers have already been moved on from another car park opposite, in Folds Road.

More Travellers are at the council-owned Endeavour House site off Waters Meeting Road, Astley Bridge, and have been served with an eviction notice.

The travellers say they want to stay in Bolton and make a permanent home at the travellers’ camp in Moses Gate.

They have previously set up camp at the former Bolton Technology College site in Grosvenor Street, Breightmet Street and Manchester Road.

Chris Hall, Euro Car Parks’ national operations manager, said the Travellers, who had not bought tickets, were costing the firm hundreds of pounds by taking up space and putting off customers.

He added: “Anybody who parks without a ticket, we look to fine them, but it would be impossible to uphold the fines because we can’t chase the travellers up at a permanent address.

“We’re going to make every attempt to move them on.”

One of the Travellers, 26- year-old Bones Johnny, said: “We’d pay for tickets, but we haven’t because we know we’re going to be moved. They just don’t want us, full stop. We’re just too much hassle for these people.”

Commuter James Black, aged 33, from Stalybridge, said: “I’m a bit concerned because I don’t think they’ll be paying.”

Angela Gilmartin, aged 41, from Farnworth, added: “I suppose they’ve got to park somewhere.”

A council spokesman said: “The car park in Kay Street is privately owned and the landowner has asked us to act on their behalf. We have served the Travellers with a notice to leave, giving them 24 hours to move. If they don’t move, we will apply to magistrates for an order to remove them from the land.”

The council has also served a summons on the Travellers in Waters Meeting Road as they have not moved since they were given notice 24 hours earlier.

They are due to appear at Bolton Magistrates Court tomorrow