Travellers kicked off leisure centre car park
DUNES Splash World in Southport has reopened its main facilities after police and council officials removed a group of travellers from its car park.
A convoy of caravans parked at the busy leisure centre for more than 24 hours, meaning that the car park and main swimming pools had to be closed to the public.
Sefton Council temporarily closed the area, citing health and safety concerns, and asked visitors to use the rear esplanade car park and rear doors to enter.
The incident came after Sefton Community Police Team responded to allegations at the weekend of anti-social and threatening behaviour on the Esplanade involving a group of travellers who had recently moved into the area.
The council provides a permanent site for travellers in the Sefton Red Rose Park in Formby, but doesn’t provide a transit site as this can lead to unauthorised encampments.
The camp the travellers attempted to set up at Dunes Splash World
would therefore be classed as illegal and many Southport residents responded with anger.
Commenting under a Sefton Council Facebook post on the matter, Jenny Rowlands-Brough said: “I hope they are fined for all the money our council/ Dunes will have lost whilst having to be shut!!
“These types are making it very hard for people not to hold grudges and hostility towards the travelling community!!”
There were similar comments under a Liverpool ECHO article on the travellers’ arrival. Dianna Fitzgerald said: “Live an let live but don’t cause upset to others - felt so sorry for the staff there this past week.”
Yesterday
(Wednesday) morning Dunes Splash World reopened fully.
A Sefton Council spokesman said: “We can confirm that travellers have vacated the car park at Splash World, Southport. Following a cleansing inspection and final health and safety checks, all main facilities have now resumed and the centre is once again fully open to the public.”