Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Travellers trash field then move on to new site in city
The city council has been locked in a week-long battle with travellers invading public open spaces in Canterbury.
Yesterday (Wednesday), as the authority was acquiring a court order to evict them from Kingsmead Field, the group moved along St Stephen’s Road and occupied the Beverley Meadow.
One dog walker who took a photo there was told by a young boy on a bike: “I’ve got a knife and my dad’s got a machete.”
On Kingsmead Field the travellers had started fires on the ground, dumped rubbish in the undergrowth, left used toilet tissue on the banks of the River Stour and driven vehicles over wildflower beds planted by the Friends of the field.
The travellers had moved onto the site on Friday, and by Monday the council had issued them with a ‘direction to leave order’ – which they ignored.
A travelling funfair unconnected with the group had been trying to get onto Kingsmead Field to set up for their scheduled event this weekend.
Sian Pettman, of the Friends of Kingsmead Field, said: “It is very sad for us to see the impact which travellers have had on the field, especially as we have worked very hard to keep the field clean and to make it attractive for the local community.
“Over the last four days, tyres, trolleys and other rubbish have been thrown into the river.
“Commercial green waste has been dumped at the back of the field. Piles of cardboard packaging have been thrown into the bushes and there is excrement and toilet paper along the riverbank.
“Untied sacks of rubbish have been dumped in the wildflower meadow with their contents spilling out and some sections of our community wildflower meadow have been driven over.
“It is demoralising for us, and we are working closely with the council to determine what can be done about it and how best to prevent it from happening again.”
Cleaners from the council’s contractor Serco have been clearing the field of detritus left on it. City council enforcement officers visited Kingsmead Field every day and also set up a CCTV camera to monitor the travellers.
The authority applied for and was granted an order by magistrates to remove them – just as the travellers left the field for Beverley Meadow.
Enforcement officers have also been there.
Canterbury City Council spokesman Rob Davies said: “We are required by law to follow the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 when dealing with situations like this.
“This means we cannot just tell the people to leave immediately and must go through a legal process to seek their removal.
“We are also obliged to carry out welfare checks and take into account any health issues with the people concerned.”
The funfair planned for the weekend will go ahead.
Maria Forrest, of Forrest Amusements which puts the fair on, said: “It’s very good news that the travellers have left.
“Some people think we’re the same as them – and we’re not.
“There has been a massive influx of them [travellers] in Kent lately and councils are having to deal with them every week.
“I have to say that in our case this week the council and the police were absolutely marvellous.
“But the travellers have absolutely trashed the field. What they’ve done is very upsetting.”
The funfair runs from 5pm to 9pm on Friday, from 2pm to 9pm on Saturday and from 2pm to 7pm on Sunday.