Birmingham and Solihull Bees furious after Travellers invade playing field TWICE in two months

From the Birmingham Mail

OFFICIALS of a Midland rugby club have slammed police and council chiefs after Travellers invaded their playing field twice in two months.

Birmingham and Solihull Bees, which runs teams from pre-school youngsters to veterans, claims it was forced to pay private bailiffs to evict the Gypsies after cops and the local authority refused to take action.

And club secretary Tina Lupoli alleged Stratford-on-Avon District Council said its main concern was the ‘wellbeing of the Travellers’.

“I was flabbergasted,” said Mrs Lupoli.

“I said if they were so concerned about them then they should provide a recognised site for them, but the council admitted there is nothing available.”

The club has twice been forced to pay £1,000 for private bailiffs to remove travellers from its Portway Ground, just outside Solihull.

The Irish Travellers initially invaded playing fields in June, after ramming gates to gain entry.

A larger group then returned at the end of August – when they were later forced to beg for help to move their caravans that had been bogged down on the rain-sodden pitches.

Volunteers have now arranged round-the-clock security for the site following the double eviction.

New locks and fences have been installed to prevent the return of the Gypsies – who had driven their vehicles across the pitches during a children’s training session.

Yet Mrs Lupoli said police were unable to take action because officers claimed the invasion was a civil matter and there was no evidence of any offence being committed.

“I don’t know what more they need when they have snapped off locks, broken down gates and caused such a lot of damage to the playing areas?” she continued.

“We want to stop them getting on the site again but need support from the authorities. It’s a nightmare.’’

A spokeswoman for Stratford-on-Avon council said the club had to arrange the eviction because they owned the land.

She added that the authority had a ‘duty to the Gypsies’ because of government diversity legislation.