Travellers at supermarket car park - Lancashire

From the Lancashire Evening Post

A group of 40 Travellers has taken over an entire section of a supermarket car park.

Security guards at Asda in Eastway, Fulwood, called police at noon, after dozens of vehicles arrived overnight and parked up in the far end of the car park, near to the charity collection banks.

Traveller children could be seen riding bikes around the car park around shopper’s cars, several small dogs were roaming free, and some traveller women climbed onto the top of caravans with mops to clean them.

A police spokeswoman said: “Police were called to the supermarket at 11.55am by the security guard who had noticed a lot of horse boxes, caravans and Transit vans descending onto the car park.

“The Travellers have told security staff and police that they are on their way to a funeral in Birmingham and will have left by Wednesday evening.”

As the Travellers are occupying private land, officers are restricted to what action can be taken before Asda’s legal team make a move.

It is the latest in a series of Travellers parking on land across Preston. Five days ago the Evening Post reported that families had set up on the car park of Preston Healthport centre in Vicarage Lane, Fulwood.

About a dozen caravans also stayed for a week on the car park outside the Transcontinental Group in Oliver’s Place, Fulwood.