Council workers dig out Travellers from illegal Brighton camp - Sussex

From the Argus

The fiasco over Travellers in Brighton rumbled on as a group faced two evictions in a day.

Brighton and Hove City Council was forced to dig an exit route in a bank and carry out the evictions as the Irish Travellers went from one illegal camp to another.

Hours after being evicted from fields off Bexhill Road, Woodingdean, the group was facing eviction at a second camp just under three miles down the road at East Brighton Park.

The group, made up of 23 vans, has now been at five city sites in three weeks.

After starting the day in Woodingdean, the Travellers said they were unable to leave using the steep bank they arrived on.

The council agreed to dig an exit route leading to fears more Travellers would arrive.

By the afternoon, the council had obtained a Section 61 order to move them on, following reports of anti-social behaviour.

Police attended after disputes erupted between residents and Travellers as they left the site.

The group headed straight for East Brighton Park, off Wilson Avenue, to set up a second illegal camp.

Hours after arriving, the group was facing a second Section 61 eviction order.

A council spokeswoman said last night: “The police and the council agreed that the threshold for a section 61 had been met to evict the Travellers from East Brighton Park. “

"The council has therefore formally requested this and the police have agreed. The police will be implementing this shortly.”

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, said: “I have been raising concerns about the closure of the Horsdean site with the council for some time now.

“The delays in reopening the site has gone on for far too long and I have long warned that further unauthorised encampments were the likely consequence.”

Councillor Geoff Wells, Conservative member for Woodingdean, said: “The council is frightened the Travellers will challenge them in court if they try and move them out of the city but I think we should call their bluff.”

The group arrived at Waterhall playing fields around three weeks ago.

The council obtained a possession order and they moved to Braypool playing fields, on June 28.

Hours before they were due to be evicted from Braypool they moved to Carden Park, Hollingbury, on Sunday, July 7.

The council was due to go through the courts for a possession order but the group moved on to the Woodingdean fields on Wednesday.