Travellers set up camp at North Warwickshire recreation area

From the Tamworth Herald

TRAVELLERS have returned to North Warwickshire setting up camp in a recreation area.

Yesterday evening around eight caravans towed by vehicles entered Piccadilly Park near Kingsbury and many were still present this morning (Wednesday).

Damage has been inflicted to fencing at the entrance of the park, which was constructed along with a gate to help prevent Traveller access to the site.

Visible tyre marks in the grass track the course of the Travellers beyond the damaged fencing area.

“It’s not acceptable,” said Councillor Mick Stanley, leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council. “It’s the cost of it all, getting them moved on, the clear up, any damage caused, the policing.

“This isn’t some farmer’s field in the middle of nowhere, this is a recreation area where people play football.”

Back in March the Herald reported how 20 caravans were evicted from Baddesley Recreation Ground little over two hours after illegally entering the site.

And in June last year, Travellers gained access to a council-owned recreation ground in Dordon forcing another eviction.

Piccadilly Recreation Park has its own history of Travellers, back in September 2011, a group was moved on from the site.

Councillor Hayden Phillips, whose ward covers Piccadilly, said: “It’s a shame the fence has been broken down, it was okay yesterday morning when I went by their yesterday.

“It causes disruptions for everybody, and it’s intimidating for the people who live nearby in tight-knit communities.

“It is expensive if we have to get an injunction to get them removed, the officer time, the court time.”