Padlock broken as travellers move in

Travellers moved onto land in Bretton after cutting the padlock off a gate.

Police have been informed after encampments in Ringwood appeared at the start of the week.

The site has proved popular in the past with travellers and Peterborough City Council said it will now be reviewing the de fences around the land to prevent further encampments.

A spokeswoman said: “Removing traveller encampments is the responsibility of the prevention and enforcement service which is made of officers from the council, police and fire service.

“The encampment and broken lock were therefore reported to the police as part of our joint response.

“We continue to work together in order to remove the encampment from the area as soon as is legally possible .”

The council served notice to the travellers on Tuesday for them to leave.

In June, it was reported that five caravans in Ringwood had been ordered to leave by the council.

And in 2010, a league fixture between West Town and Farcet United Reserves had to be moved due to travellers setting up camp on football pitches at the site.

A council scrutiny committee meeting last month passed a motion for a working group to reconvene in order to find more sites for travellers to move on to with only one Emergency Stopping Place currently available.

The police said it did not have a record of being called to Ringwood on Monday or Tuesday.

Travellers who moved onto the Embankment earlier this week have also been served a notice to leave.