Travellers told to leave Chester FC car park - Cheshire

From Chester First

IRISH Travellers have set up camp in the car park at Chester FC’s stadium.

Five caravans have moved onto the Blues’ home ground almost 12 months to the day that a group of French Travellers arrived on the Bumpers Lane site.

Cheshire West and Chester Council, which owns the stadium and car park, said the travellers had been served with an eviction notice requiring them to leave by 11am today.

The convoy has set up camp behind the Harry McNally Terrace and arrived on Friday afternoon.

Chester FC were without a game last weekend and the club’s next scheduled home league match is not until Saturday, February 23, when Vauxhall Motors are the visitors.

However, Neil Young’s side beat Airbus UK Broughton 2-1 on Monday night in a home game played behind closed doors.

Blues chief executive officer Pat Cluskey said the Travellers drove onto the car park around lunchtime on Friday.

“We spoke to the council as soon as they arrived,” he said. “We have got to have the gates open so people can come and go during the day so there is not a lot we could do.

“The council has been back to give them an eviction notice and as far as I am aware there have been no issues with the Travellers whatsoever.”

Council spokesman Shirley Wingfield said officers had visited the group and informed them they had no right to remain on the car park.

She said: “The Travellers arrived on Friday and they have been served with a notice to leave by 11am on Wednesday.”

On February 15 last year, eight caravans moved onto the stadium car park.

The Travellers were believed to be from France and were visiting the UK on a sightseeing trip.

The following month the same group set up camp on the car park at Preston North End’s Deepdale stadium.