Council take action after Travellers set up an illegal camp in Coventry - Warwickshire

From the Coventry Telegraph

Travellers set up an illegal camp in Coventry over the weekend.

A handful of caravans gained access to the north side of Longford Park, off Oakmoor Road, on Sunday and police were called to the scene at around 6pm.

A number of residents also called Coventry City Council about the Travellers.

One resident told the Telegraph: “A small group of Gypsies cut the lock to Longford Park and people living around the area are having to lock garden items away and make sure outbuildings and sheds are secure.

“One lady’s house is only a short way away from where the Gypsies have parked up and from her garden you can hear their music until the early hours.

“Once they arrived, many residents rang the council and police, and soon after officers did arrive and patrolled the area but only for an hour or two.”

A spokesman for Coventry City Council said: “Our environmental crime team have been out to the site yesterday to conduct the needs assessment and we are now getting the eviction process underway.”

The ‘needs assessment’ highlights whether the Travellers have any welfare issues, such as pregnancy or ill health, and as none were found the council will now serve the Travellers with notice to leave – giving them 48 hours to leave the site.

The news comes after Travellers who had spent nearly a week on Heckley playing fields in Bedworth finally left just hours before bailiffs were set to be called in.

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council had given the Travellers 24 hours to leave the site last week, but having failed to heed the warnings a court order was granted.

This gave the borough council the powers to force them off the site or resort to bringing in bailiffs if necessary.

However, this didn’t prove to be the case as the Travellers left over the weekend. Meanwhile, Rugby Borough Council is also dealing with an illegal Travellers site and are awaiting a court date to give them the go-ahead to break up the camp.

Six caravans moved on to a park in Newbold Road on Friday and the town’s chiefs are now pursuing a court order to have them removed.