Travellers seize the seaside by setting up camp of 50 caravans
Business owners claim ‘takeover’ was planned at weekend so officials would have less time to respond
TRAVELLERS in caravans have set up camp on the protected lawns of Hove’s seafront, to the irritation of nearby businesses who complained little effort was being made to evict them.
Around 50 caravans and motor homes gradually began to “take over” the Hove Lawns on Saturday, and cars have since been seen driving at speed along the grass.
The occupants were said to be Irish travellers, groups of whom caused similar trouble last summer after parking further along the promenade.
The mile-long stretch of green space fringing the Brighton and Hove seafront is afforded special legal protection to stop it being occupied by vehicles. Under the protection, any “vehicle, caravan, tent or other structure” should be removed by the police after 12 hours, once they are given the authority by the council.
However, one business owner on the seafront said the arrival of the travellers appeared to have been timed to ensure it was after offices and courts had closed for the weekend. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph yesterday afternoon, he claimed there had been no obvious attempt to disturb the encampment since it had appeared more than a day earlier.
The businessman, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “We had some young lads driving straight across the lawns. Obviously that is not supposed to happen.
“They were going along the middle of the lawns at around 20-25 miles per hour – it is not crowded on the lawn today but it is not something to be advised.
“There is no sign of any police presence at all at the moment. I think they knew what they were doing. The bulk of them arrived on a Saturday, when there is no chance of getting a court order to remove them straight away.
“We have had trouble before, with kids trying to nick things and rampaging through the tables – it is not something we look forward to.”
Groups of children aged between 11 and 12 were said to have been pestering neighbouring businesses by using distraction tactics to steal food.
A member of staff at a different business said: “They have been trying to take some food from here; they have been taking ketchup too. They have been leaving a mess in the toilet – customers are complaining.”
While the traveller camp is perhaps the most egregious example of the protection order being flouted in recent years, it is not the first.
Individuals have been seen camping and parking on the grass in recent months, largely due to the city’s homelessness problem, residents claimed.
Travellers have parked on the main road near the promenade before. Pictures yesterday showed the usually picturesque lawns strewn with litter, with caravans and motor homes parked in two parallel lines.
One onlooker said several of the vehicles did not appear to be displaying number plates. Sussex Police said they were aware of the problem and were waiting for the council to authorise any further action.
A councillor in the area expressed anger at the lack of action taken by authorities against the invasion. Dawn Barnett, a Conservative, said: “It is a public space. If I were to go and park my car at Preston Park or Queens Park or anywhere else, I guarantee it would be moved within 12 hours.”
One man said: “It’s relatively peaceful, just a bit irritating.”
Brighton and Hove Council did not respond to a request for comment.
‘They were going along the middle of the lawns at around 20-25mph’