Traveller site farce must end soon

How many more warnings must the community of Travellers be given before they are removed from their illegally-built settlement in St Cyrus? Since the first hard standing was built at North Esk Park in Aberdeenshire, the group has been embroiled in a series of planning battles, each of which it has lost.

However, despite being told to do so, they show no sign of moving, preferring instead to filibuster with a series of fresh planning applications.

As the saga has gone on, they have continued to extend and develop the site.

The Travellers and their supporters claim it is too late to move them on because their children are settled in schools.

They say they were forced to build at St Cyrus because no suitable accommodation had been provided.

That is the fault of the local council and neither reason is enough to justify riding roughshod over the planning system.

Householders plagued by councils for minor planning infractions must be looking on aghast as this sorry saga rumbles on.

Similarly, local residents whose safety is being compromised by the increased flood risk caused by the illegal building work are outraged.

Aberdeenshire Council already stands accused of dereliction of its duty towards both the Travellers and their neighbours. It must stop this farce.