Travellers move onto Gomersal playing fields - Yorkshire

From the Spenborough Guardian

TRAVELLERS have moved onto playing fields in Gomersal.

The Travellers are parked illegally on Nibshaw Lane playing fields, off Spen Lane, next to the disused Maccess building.

People living nearby said the Travellers had been causing a disturbance since they moved on to the land on April 12.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said the Travellers’ dogs were attacking people and other dogs.

She said: “The car park at Maccess is full of excrement and urine along with the rubbish from more than 10 caravans.

“I appreciate the council and police have their hands tied by the legalities but where did our rights go, as law-abiding, rent, water rates, council tax paying citizens?

“They are allowed to destroy the football pitch, have dogs who are aggressive and leave two horses on the football pitch. I wonder what rights I would have should I decide to keep two horses on the football pitch?

“My children cannot play out, my neighbours are terrified but the caravans still they are here.

“We are all effectively held to ransom until the Travellers decide to move or are eventually forced out.”

Another woman, who did not want to be named, said she had seen children going into the derelict Maccess building.

She said: “They have been racing their horses up and down the field which has ruined it, and Gomersal Boys Club has not been on the field playing football since they came.

“At 2.30am on Saturday they were beeping their car horns and generally being noisy.”

A Kirklees Council spokesman said: “The council is monitoring the situation and continuing to liaise with the owners of the site, who are responsible for taking action to remove the encampment.”

A spokesman for land owners Castlerock Capital Limited said they hoped to have a court order in place by the end of the week to evict them from the land.