Travellers in Cuckfield moved on as councillor calls for tougher powers - Sussex

From the Mid-Sussex Times

A DISTRICT councillor has called for tougher powers to move on Travellers who camp illegally.

Anne Jones spoke after a group moved on to fields in Burgess Hill. This week Travellers were also seen in Cuckfield, prompting calls to the Middy.

Some Travellers have already been moved on from other sites at Burgess Hill and Hassocks owned by Mid Sussex District Council.

Today (Thursday, September 6) Haywards Heath police wrote on Twitter that the travellers on Whitemans Green in Cuckfield were served a section 61 notice to leave.

Police have used specialist powers to require a group of Travellers move from a site in Cuckfield.

The Section 61 - which can only be used by the police - was invoked this afternoon (Thursday 6 September) and the travellers must now leave the land.

The Travellers arrived on land at Whiteman’s Green, Cuckfield, on Tuesday (4 September) evening.

Inspector Paul Tomlinson of Mid Sussex Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “The fact that this is community area which is used by sports clubs for fixtures, including some due to take place this weekend, a playschool and local residents, meant that we had sufficient grounds to invoke a Section 61 requiring them to move from the area with immediate effect.

“Police carry out a joint visit with the relevant landowner on each occasion travellers enter illegally onto land, enabling an informed decision to be made regarding who has responsibility to seek their removal.”

Councillor Anne Jones, of Burgess Hill, told the Middy: “I want people to write to their MP to get the law changed so something can be done quicker to move these people on.

“This has just got to change. We get squeezed on council tax and have to spend a lot of money getting Travellers moved on.

“They are costing us a fortune.

“I am really fed up because they can’t do this sort of thing in Ireland and they can’t do it in France.

“Why can they do it in the UK?

“The public don’t seem to have rights in this matter.”

Councils have powers to move the unwanted guests on, but they take time to implement before Travellers can be moved.