Don’t park at this station... travellers have taken over
Warning to commuters as 65 caravans set up camp
COMMUTERS were warned to avoid a railway station car park after travellers arrived in 65 caravans to spend Christmas together.
Train users who normally arrive by car were urged to find another way to get there after expensive 4x4s, caravans and trucks owned by the travellers turned up.
Greater Anglia tweeted a warning shortly after the group set up camp on Sunday, telling customers they were taking up most of the car park.
British Transport Police attended yesterday to ‘prevent a breach of the peace’ after bailiffs arrived to enforce a 24-hour eviction notice issued by the rail operator, which also runs the station, Cambridge North, in the city’s Chesterton area.
The vehicles had moved on by 12.30pm – but only as far as a former park and ride site next door. The travellers were yesterday threatening to remain on the council- owned land until after Christmas.
Children could be seen playing there and dogs were tied up outside vehicles.
Two travellers were also cutting a yellow salt grit container in half to use as dog houses and were offering to sell puppies for £450.
A man calling himself Big Doddie Stokes said 132 people had come together for the festive season. He added: ‘The way we look at it, it’s out of town.
‘We’re not going to cause any hassle for anybody. All we want is Christmas. It gets to Boxing Day, we shift.’
Another said: ‘Yeah, we’re spending Christmas here.’
Greater Anglia’s tweet said: ‘Warning. Travellers have set up camp in most of our car park at Cambridge North.
‘Please use an alternative to a car if you’re going to Cambridge North to start your journey today. We’re trying to resolve this ASAP.’ Visitors to the site – one of the newest in the rail network – complained about the travellers’ apparent ability to thumb their nose at the law. A mother with a pushchair, who said she had moved to the area from Italy, said: ‘There’s a lot of these caravan sites here. In my country it wouldn’t be allowed.’ A man entering a nearby business premises added: ‘ I don’t know why they’re here. ‘ My colleague complained about it earlier.’ A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: ‘Officers have attended the scene to make an assessment and speak to those on the site. ‘We continue to work with partners, including the city council and local businesses, to resolve the situation.’ Cambridge North opened to pasdistance sengers in May but was officially opened by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling in August. A short from Cambridge Science Park and Cambridge Business Park, it is used by Greater Anglia and Great Northern trains, providing services between London’s King’s Cross and Liverpool Street and stations including Ely, Norwich and Cambridge.