Dead-of-night Gypsies sneak in - Derbyshire

From the Burton Mail

TRAVELLERS have sneaked onto a public site during the dead of night — after special security measures designed to keep them out were removed.

The itinerants moved onto land near the Church Gresley Memorial Club in York Road, Church Gresley, on Thursday night, the first encampment in the district this year.

A collection of caravans and vehicles burst through a space left open after two wooden posts — installed at the site after it was besieged by travellers on several occasions during 2010 — were removed, allowing workers from an electricity firm to access the area.

The Travellers stormed the site before the wooden bollards had been put back into position after workers left.

South Derbyshire District Council confirmed it was taking steps to remove the travellers from the land.

A spokesman for the authority said: “We are aware of a group of Travellers illegally occupying land off York Road, Church Gresley.

“As the caravans are situated on common land, the onus is on the district council to move them on.

“We are working with the police and our partner agencies to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Additional security measures will also be put in place on site to try to prevent this from happening again in the future.” It was also confirmed that as soon as the Travellers were removed from the site, the wooden bollards would be reinstated.

The Mail previously reported that South Derbyshire District Council received 98 calls about itinerants moving onto public and private land during the last three financial years.

The problem was at its peak in 2010, when 37 reports were received — this was the year which saw a constant battle by council officers, police and private landowners to move on Travellers who had set up camps on land across the district.

There were 31 reports in 2009 and 30 last year.