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Dig ditches and put up barriers to keep messy travellers off land

11:10am Friday 9th May 2008

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DITCHES should be used to keep messy travellers off private land, says an angry parish councillor.

Travellers have again set up camp on the Sandyway on the A38 between Fernhill Health and Martin Hussingtree, near Worcester.

Two caravans arrived at the site, owned by Worcestershire County Council, on Tuesday afternoon.

Jacqueline Broadrick, a member of North Claines Parish Council, said the council recently met police to discuss the problem - but a ditch could cost the parish council as much as £800.

"There should be a ditch or a barrier sooner rather than later," she said.

"It's spoiling the entrance to the village. It's not just that, it's pulling on resources.

"It's not fair on the ratepayer. It's becoming a nuisance."

She said Mike Lovatt, who maintains the area and mows the grass for the parish council, was unable to get onto the land.

Mrs Broadrick said travellers had invaded the site as many as eight times over the last 12 months. One group had used the site to sell puppies to passing motorists.

Alan Fisher, a Wychavon district councillor for Lovett and North Claines, said that last year the travellers left behind rubbish and human and animal excrement and were intimidating children walking to school and to people who were returning from the pub.

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council said the authority had spoken to the travellers.

"We have visited the site and have been assured that they are moving on this weekend," he said.

A spokesman for West Mercia police said: "We have spoken to the travellers and we are aware that they are planning to move in the not too distant future.

"We're not taking any action but we are in touch with the local authorities who are monitoring the situation."

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Your Say YourStourbridge News

Helen Donovan, Evesham says...
12:58pm Fri 9 May 08

How is it, that these people can do whatever they like without any comeback, and yet if law abiding tax payers behaved in the same way they would be jumped on from a great height?

Ditches and mounds don't work anyway. We have those in the laybys in Evesham and they STILL get through.
How about towing their vans and caravans away and confiscating their belongings?

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Stan Parr, Pershore says...
3:02pm Fri 9 May 08

"...with the local authorities who are monitoring the situation."

In other words - doing nothing!

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Zero Tollerance, Malvern says...
4:29pm Fri 9 May 08

Impounding illegally parked vans and caravans etc should be the local authorities priority. If this message was set in stone from the start it may deter these 'animals' from setting up camp.

But of course that would be far too simple for the authorisites to administer!!!

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BB, Worcester says...
6:52pm Fri 9 May 08

the local authority getting off their butts and assisting law abiding ccoucil tax paying citizens, upholding the law, dealing with those that cause a nuisence or break the law - dont make me laugh. Theyd rather give bin fines out than do anything remotely helpful. Travellers/ Gypsys - whatever the politically correct words may be will continue to be a last on the list thought (if there on the list that is), the police wont help, the council wont help, MP Mike Foster does nothing, no-one will accept responsilbility or even dare to challenge these people. They mean far too much to them - either that or their too scared and wimpish. Selfish money grabbing idiots.

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chippie, Worcester says...
7:49pm Fri 9 May 08

There seem to be some people who win every time and these seem to be the travellers - set up camp anywhere, doesn't matter what laws they break they always seem to get away with it.

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hotfuzz, Stourport says...
8:03pm Fri 9 May 08

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council said the authority had spoken to the travellers.
"We have visited the site and have been assured that they are moving on this weekend," he said.
A spokesman for West Mercia police said: "We have spoken to the travellers and we are aware that they are planning to move in the not too distant future.
"We're not taking any action but we are in touch with the local authorities who are monitoring the situation."


That's Ok then - problem solved!!!???

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hotfuzz, Stourport says...
8:03pm Fri 9 May 08

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council said the authority had spoken to the travellers.
"We have visited the site and have been assured that they are moving on this weekend," he said.
A spokesman for West Mercia police said: "We have spoken to the travellers and we are aware that they are planning to move in the not too distant future.
"We're not taking any action but we are in touch with the local authorities who are monitoring the situation."


That's Ok then - problem solved!!!???

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ken18, worcester says...
8:04pm Fri 9 May 08

To dig ditches or put up barriers would be spoiling the land and giving in to these people.Impound their caravans but leave them their transport - levy a high daily rate to be paid ( obviously in cash ! )until they are reclaimed or crushed.I thought that the Labour government brought in laws to stop this problem some time ago but our councils fail us everytime -police are available to oversee wheelie bin bandits being brought to justice but as always say let them ( the travellers ) move on in their own time( recently in Droitwich ?).I have been stopped twice in the last 12 months whilst driving for a " routine check" which isn`t really a problem as all documentation is correct -do the traffic police ever check the travellers vehicles for tax, insurance and mot? I very much doubt it -we will always come second best because we`re only the ratepayers after all!

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ken18, worcester says...
8:08pm Fri 9 May 08

Just an afterthought -we should leave an overfilled wheelie bin and a black binbag alongside their caravans - then you see the council and police act!! £100 please!

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hotfuzz, Stourport says...
8:43pm Fri 9 May 08

ken18 - you're right - there is legislation to deal with it - but for some reason in this area - it's always the softly, softly approach (unless you're doing 35mph in a 30mph area!!).

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anon, worcester says...
9:07pm Fri 9 May 08

ken18 wrote:
Just an afterthought -we should leave an overfilled wheelie bin and a black binbag alongside their caravans - then you see the council and police act!! £100 please!
bloody well said................
.............

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truthteller, worcester says...
11:28pm Fri 9 May 08

Well said Ken18. Perhaps we should all dump a binbag by their caravans. £100 per bag, that should be enough to clean up the mess they will leave if and when they move.

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Stan Parr, Pershore says...
11:29pm Fri 9 May 08

(This story has now gone forward to 11pm today - possibly in the paper tomorrow Saturday?)

All your comments here noted - and agreed with!

Stan.(A Taxpayer!)

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hotfuzz, Stourport says...
8:40pm Sat 10 May 08

If you check out the Kidderminster News / Shuttle site for a report 8th May 2008:

WYRE Forest District Council is taking action against cars parked illegally on pavements and grass verges.
Builder, Jason Harvey, 35, was given a £70 fine after parking on the pavement in Wilden Lane, Stourport, as he visited his girlfriend's house.
Mr Harvey had been parking there regularly for the past three months and said it was difficult to find somewhere to park in the area.


Will there be any consistency across the county - will the 'Travellers' parking on grass verges receive similar treatment - or would that be discrimination (which way I wonder???)

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Stan Parr, Pershore says...
11:22pm Sat 10 May 08

There is a totally ludicrous imbalance of applying the Law, when it comes to Travellers.

There appears to be one Law for them and all the other Laws are for us law-abiding citizens!

They completely disregard any standing Bye-Laws and always please themselves - then arrogantly advertise the fact in newspaper articles! These only serve to rub our noses in it!

Well it ain't on!

We've had enough!

Just WHAT do we pay our taxes for?

Why should we bother to pay ANY taxes? - They don't! (Or do they?)

"Pigs might...!"

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Comments are closed on this article.

Travellers set up on Sandyway on the A38 between Fernhill Heath and Martin Hussingtree, near Worcester. 19388501 Travellers set up on Sandyway on the A38 between Fernhill Heath and Martin Hussingtree, near Worcester. 19388501

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