Council and police chiefs need to take immediate action against travellers who breached a court injunction and broke on to Barony Park in Nantwich, said MP Kieran Mullan.
According to residents, travellers broke through the new park perimeter fencing and gained access to the park via Middlewich Road earlier this evening (March 29).
Police officers arrived at the park later to prevent more travellers gaining access, said witnesses.
These images from Nantwich News readers show travellers backing up on Middlewich Road.
The injunction bans the siting of a caravan or mobile home for a period of longer than four hours without permission.
If ordered to remove the caravan or mobile home, the owner would have to move off the land within four hours or be in contempt of court, which could result in arrest.
Tonight, Crewe & Nantwich MP Dr Mullan said: “Both Cheshire East and the Police now have the power to act.
“Criminal damage has occurred and the injunction has been breached.
“Both the fence and the injunction were only ever going to be tools that allow both to act quickly and will only make a difference long term if they are used.
“That is what will stop people turning up, when they know it isn’t going to be worth their while.
“Cheshire East and the police now have to deliver.
“One of the big issues in the police powers to act need the landowner to first attend and ask people to leave.
“Again and again Friends of Barony Park and I have asked Cheshire East to organise an out of hours response and they haven’t.
“So the police are going to have to wait until the morning for Cheshire East.”
A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said: “We can confirm that there is an unauthorised Traveller encampment at Barony Park.
“An officer from the Cheshire and Warrington Gypsy and Traveller Liaison team will attend the site today (March 30), alongside Cheshire police, to advice the group of the court injunction in place and their legal obligation to move on.”
The injunction and fencing secured last year came after several years of unauthorised encampments on the park which angered local residents and park users.
Wigan have had the same problem the travellers actually live in houses in the borough but all meet up and move around so it’s not about legal sites it’s something they what to do but if they are classed as settled why do the council let them get away with it
The council tried to save a few quid by not replacing the feeble existing barriers around the car park…and thus allowed a breach of the barrier onto the park. Travellers again outwitting the council. Why do they not want to do a thorough job in the first case?
Reg
People would rather complain about the result of the problem (illegal encampments) than the cause of the problem (not enough legal traveller sites).
More legal traveller sites = less illegal encampments.
William, when did that become my responsibility?
Did I strike a nerve?
Do we know if the law has been enforced?
Why is there no designated park they can stay on locally? This is just a joke now after all our money has been spent on it too. This will continue until they have hardstanding designated for travellers
At last, someone with common sense.
No, contrary to the travellers’ understanding, we have laws, and paid representatives to enforce the law. It breaks down when some break the law and those same representatives fail to enforce the law, thus undermining process, and providing some with an excuse to exist outside the law, with an expectation on others to nonetheless pay for that existence.
Spoken like a true bureaucrat. Not once did I say for anyone to pay for travellers “existence”, you are the typical type who reverts back to the problem when somebody comes up with a solution to the cause of the problem. The scenario of travellers encamping illegally is this: If a cup is filled to the top with water, and the water keeps on pouring, a spill will occur, whether it is the law or not, the spill will occur, this is not an excuse, this is the inevitable outcome, should the spill be prosecuted?
William, get on plan and pay your way. Only then do you have a voice.
They should be arrested anyway for the criminal damage offences. If a local resident broke a fence to gain unauthorised access they would be arrested and charged without question.
I read it, and that doesn’t make it right, or excuse the lethargic approach to the issue by both CEC and CP over many years. I also read that they’ve been asked many times to install process, but it would seem that is also too much to ask…let’s not add to their excuses!
Breaking the fence down is criminal damage , why are they not being charged ? , total low life that have no respect
That reference to CEC and CP is a bit harsh, but understand the frustration 😉.
But yes, the ‘travellers’ aren’t worthy of consideration.
So, with full legal powers in place, we can expect their near immediate removal, can’t we? And they won’t be present in the morning? Cheshire Police, you are now under scrutiny and, perhaps the increase in our Council Tax will be put to use!
Did you read the article? The Police can’t remove them until Cheshire East ask them to leave and they aren’t sending anyone out tonight as they don’t work outside officer hours.
Don’t be so quick to blame without knowing the facts (that are literally written right in front of you!)