Irate locals want travellers to go (From Stroud News and Journal)

Irate locals want travellers to go

FURIOUS residents are demanding action from the council after travellers set up a camp site in a car park off Cainscross Road.

They say that since the lorries and caravans moved into the car park on Wednesday, they have had to endure constant noise, vandalism, theft and abuse.

But the travellers say it is the residents who are making noise and stealing things, and that they have locked the public toilets on the site.

Chris Simpson, of nearby Ashway Court, said: "The noise is all night with their generators, their kids have taken over the small park in Ashway Court, meant for residents, and the noise is constant.

"I do not pay over £1,150 a year to put up with this.

"They are using the public toilets for all of their water needs - again, something the tax paying people are paying for, not them."

One resident described the situation as "diabolical", adding: "They come into our gardens, they mess in our gardens.

"When you tell them they are not allowed in, even the little kids say things like, 'I hope you die of cancer'."

A spokesman from the travellers camp said: "We have complaints as well. They have been coming up here and nicking bikes and a generator and been driving up through the night, speeding and blowing their horns.

"Also, they have locked the toilets and when we asked them to open them they just said: 'you can go anywhere you want'."

As we (reporter and photographer) walked away from the site, children from the travellers' camp, shouted abuse at us.

A spokesman for the council said: "All I can say is we are taking legal advice on it at the moment. They have assured us they are leaving at the weekend.

"Unfortunately nowadays we have to bear in mind human rights legislation and we can't just turf them off as we have in the past.

"We are not dodging the issue but our hands are tied somewhat by the law. We will be dealing with the problem as urgently as we can."