GYPSY CAMP HELL

10,000 in car parks demo to demand permanent site

OCCUPIED: Traveller vehicles on council car park

GYPSIES last night threatened to protest at every car park in a city.

More than 10,000 will take part in the demo against lack of caravan sites, a traveller claimed.

The 23-year-old, who has been ordered to leave a multi-storey car park in Gloucester where he has been living with 11 relatives in four caravans, said: “It’s wrong.

“They keep telling us to move. Where do they want us to move to?

“We would like a permanent site from the council.

“We will march all through the city and the protest will go on for at least a week.

“Every car park in Gloucester will have caravans in it, every field. Then we are going to hit the streets.”

The unnamed man says he organised the demonstration while at the annual travellers’ Appleby horse fair in Cumbria last month.

He also hit out at the council closure of the multi-storey car park’s toilets soon after the group arrived.

The traveller said: “We feel that is treating us unfairly. It’s human rights at the end of the day.” He added: “We don’t mind buying a piece of land but prices are high.”

A council spokesman said the toilets were closed because of damage caused the last time travellers illegally occupied the building.

He added: “We are aware travellers are illegally occupying part of the car park and we have issued them with a notice to leave. If the group does not move on then we will start legal proceedings.”