Fury as travellers leave trail of debris and human waste - Cornwall

From the Cornish Guardian

A CORNWALL councillor is to press her local authority for action to stop Travellers setting up camp in areas of Bodmin.

The latest group was on land at Midway Road for more than a fortnight, leaving a trail of rubbish after they left last week. There were also complaints of noise and intimidation from residents and employers in the area.

The group first tried to set up camp on the opposite side of the road on the Beacon Technology Park, but was quickly moved on, prompting the landowner, the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, to swiftly install large boulders to prevent caravans gaining access again.

Cornwall councillor Anne Kerridge said she had received numerous complaints from irate residents and businesses about the noise and mess caused by the Travellers.

A police spokesman said they were empowered to move the Travellers on only if the landowner had ordered them to leave and they failed to do so. At Midway Road, that did not happen.

In May of last year, members of the Gypsy community brought 12 caravans on to the playing fields at Scarlett's Well. Once they left, boulders were installed to prevent it happening again.

In April 2008 a convoy of more than a dozen caravans stayed at Priory Park car park, forcing Bodmin Town Council to issue notices ordering them to leave within 12 hours or face court action.

One of the businesses affected by the latest encampment was Flann Microwave on Dunmere Road, which employs 60 people.

Site manager Cliff Venables said the Travellers had used the Midway Road site in the previous two years, but the latest group had left behind a huge amount of rubbish.

"It's absolutely horrendous here," he said. "It's like looking out on to a rubbish tip – much worse than in previous years.

"They don't seem to have used the toilets in their caravans, either, and I don't have to tell you what that's like."

Mr Venables said some staff had suffered intimidation, including Traveller children brandishing sticks at a van driver whom they had mistakenly believed was about to enter their camp.

Mrs Kerridge said she was attempting to get Cornwall Council to clean up the mess as soon as possible.

"As well as all the rubbish, I received complaints too about noise late at night and antisocial behaviour," she said.

" I've spoken to the council's Gypsy and Traveller liaison officer, who admits there aren't enough transit sites in Cornwall for these people to stay.

"Not all Travellers cause problems, but this last lot on Midway Road certainly did, and I'll be pressing the liaison officer to see what can be done to prevent this happening again."

A Cornwall Council spokesman said funding was now in place to provide proper sites for Gypsies and Travellers in the county and options were being looked at.

"Government funding of £1.24 million has been made available to provide new sites," he said. "It's hoped a network of small sites can be developed across Cornwall to meet existing needs and to address unauthorised encampments."