Travellers move after being ordered to leave Cleethorpes Boating Lake car park - Lincolnshire

From the Grimsby Telegraph

TRAVELLERS who set up in Cleethorpes Boating Lake car park over the weekend have now moved onto land near Riby Square.

After being given a deadline of 10am today to leave the Cleethorpes car park, the Travellers left yesterday evening.

Council officers had stepped in to issue fixed penalty notices on Tuesday.

The tickets came 24 hours after they failed to respond to warning notices ordering them off the site.

About 16 families in caravans moved onto the car park over the weekend, starting with a handful on Friday, and were issued with tickets by the council yesterday, following warnings on Monday.

Local businesses welcomed the tough action taken by North East Lincolnshire Council.

A council spokeswoman said: "This is a council public car park. It is not a designated Travellers' site. Hopefully they will be gone today."

Council leader Chris Shaw said: "We are taking robust action and working within the law. We are doing nothing other than the law permits in order to safeguard our residents and businesses in the area. If anyone parks on a council car park they have to follow the rules and get a ticket and not stay overnight. The rules apply to everyone and everyone is treated the same."

It is understood the Travellers attempted to check in at the resort's Thorpe Park but later moved on to the council car park. Security was stepped up at the holiday centre.

A Humberside Police spokeswoman said a caravan home at Thorpe Park was broken into over the weekend and a TV and sleeping bag stolen, although police have not confirmed a link between the two.

After the 9am warning yesterday a Traveller, who did not want to be named, said: "We are all very stressed. We will be moving out soon but I'm not sure where."

Another Traveller said: "A lot of them have hangovers. There was drinking going on last night."

Debbie Brown, store manager of Leading Labels in the Meridian Point shopping area, said: "After the sandstorm, freezing weather, the train track disruption, a Traveller camp is not what we need in the Easter holidays in Cleethorpes.

"They started with six or seven and then grew and grew. The council's response is music to our ears. They have been stringent with the rules. Why should they be treated any different to everyone else?

"We have had to lock our barriers over the access to the store which has affected our deliveries.

"We want to enhance the area and are looking forward to Premier Inn moving to the area. A Traveller camp is putting people off and it is the mess they leave behind which is the worry."

Ian Whitwham, store manager of The Original Factory Shop, said: "We rely on the car park facility because we are a resort and want visitors to have ample car parking, especially when it is the busy Easter holidays.

"Having a Traveller camp detracts from the area's character and deters people from parking up near there."

Visitor to Cleethorpes Lisa Hill, 43, said: "Could the council not give them somewhere to go and park? People stereotype a lot but travelling is just a way of life."

Debbie Musson, 48, said: "They should move on or pay their way like we all have to. It is intimidating. People feel threatened."