Carry on camping

“ Imagine how upset- ting it would be, be- ing uprooted every few days’’ – that was a Tweet from police in Surrey to residents unhappy that travellers had moved onto land near their homes and allegedly indulged in anti-social behaviour.

The response from residents was incredulous to say the least. I don’t know why they were surprised.

Up and down the land, including Peterborough, police have shown time and time again they do not want to get involved with any problems that arise with traveller encampments –and that includes allegations of law breaking.

Do you remember the case last year of 84-year-old Peterborough businesswoman Eve Taylor?

Mrs Taylor turned to the police after travellers parked up at her business in Bretton. They then demanded £1,200 to leave, warning Mrs Taylor it would cost her more to evict them via the courts. In desperation, Mrs Taylor called the police who told her the travellers’ words amounted to a proposal not a threat!

Travellers rock up regularly, and have done so again recently, in Peterborough and invariably residents are up in arms.

Peterborough City Cllr John Fox has spent many hours trying to find a solution. No wonder he is exasperated.

He headed up a working party which choose a site at Clay Lane to be an Emergency Stopping Place.

The idea is brilliant in its simplicity – it is an area provided by the city council and funded by the council taxpayer where unauthorised encampments can be moved to.

Unfortunately, nobody seems interested in moving them.

The police can, of course, under Section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 move travellers on. What they can’t do is tell them where to go. And neither can the council.

Another badly drawn up piece of legislation, which gives police an opportunity to wash their hands of a situation that causes untold distress to a lot of people.

The message this sends is that it is okay to “Carry On Camping.’’

Imagine how upsetting that is for residents adversely affected by unlawful camps?