Travellers leave Gloucester - Gloucestershire

From the Citizen

BUSINESSES in Gloucester are facing a clear-up operation after two sets of Travellers were evicted last night.

From Thursday night, eight caravans set up camp in Olympus Park in Quedgeley with a further 10 vehicles parked-up at Nexus II business centre in Brockworth.

A spokesman for Severn Glocon Group in Quedgeley said the police were powerless to intervene and told businesses there they would have to bring in their own bailiffs to move the groups on.

"Groups of children were running free, even going to the toilet in the garden and behind parked cars," she said.

"The adults were nowhere to be seen, but the children were running riot around the car park and garden.

"It was very intimidating."

They also found plants pulled up and a metal fire escape had been damaged.

There was also damage to property found at Nexus II business park in Bamel Way, Brockworth, where a separate group of travellers set up camp.

A spokesman for Water Coolers Direct.com, based there, said: "We have been trying to carry on as normal but it has been very difficult. The car park was over-run and there were kids running around as if it was a park.

"They seem to be able to live by their own rules.

"There was rubbish everywhere. We will have to get specialists in to clean up."

On Friday, a warrant to remove the Travellers under the landowner's common law rights was issued at Brockworth and a bailiff instructed privately.

Travellers left the Brockworth site by 3pm yesterday and were given a deadline of 5pm to be off the land at Quedgeley.

A police spokesman said: "Officers often attend illegal encampments to advise those on the site of the expected standards of behaviour until any eviction takes place.

"Police may return to the site on eviction to ensure no breach of peace takes place when people leave."