Gypsy family outraged at local community’s attitude ahead of huge funeral - Cheshire

From the Crewe Chronicle

POLICE ensured a Gypsy funeral in Wrenbury passed without incident after a family complained they were being persecuted.

More than 500 Romany Gypsies from across the country poured into the small village of Wrenbury yesterday (Tuesday) to pay their respects to ‘Crowy’ Woodward.

But the clan were fuming that the village’s shops and pubs were shut to them – and claim they were even attacked with bricks by locals at Sound Common, which they were using as a resting place for Crowy.

His brother Gordon Woodward is now head of the clan, and before the funeral he told the Chronicle they’d had nothing but hassle over the past few days.

He said: "On Friday night we had a load of lads down here throwing bricks at us."

“And we were going to have a drink in the pub after the funeral but they’re shutting them all, so now we’re hiring the village hall for sandwiches and the like.

“We’ve got people coming from all over the country, some of them elderly, and they’ll need to eat.

“There’s more than 20 local Romany Gypsy children in the local school and we’re being persecuted. We have been all our lives and closing the shops and pubs is just the latest thing.”

Gordon ‘came off the road’ 20 years ago and now lives in a house in Alpraham.

He says his family has been in Cheshire – both travelling and living in houses – for about 130 years and deserves more respect.

He said: “We’re all English Gypsies who were born in this country, and the Woodward family fought and died for this country.

“I can trace my family back to the 17th century.

“All we’re trying to do is come down and bury my brother in peace. He lived round here all his life and his grandchildren are at the school.

“My mum and dad are buried at Wrenbury, my grandparents and their parents and we never had any trouble at their funerals.”

Inspector Dave Smithers, of Nantwich police, said rumours were responsible for the pubs and shops shutting, and they were aware of Friday night’s incidents.

He said “Nantwich police have been working closely with the organisers of the funeral and attended on Friday evening after receiving reports of local youths throwing stones and being verbally abusive.

“They were chased away by a couple of men, but there were concerns they may come back so patrols monitored the area to ensure no further problems were experienced by the travelling community.”

He added: “We have not advised any businesses to close during the funeral as this is not something we would do, it is entirely their decision.

“It appears there was concern from the local community as they believed more than 2,000 people were going to descend on their small village, which is not the case and appears to have arisen through speculation.”