SO ONCE again travellers have camped on public land – Selsley Common – then left and in so doing left rubbish for others ie Stroud District Council to clear up.

And the cost of this clear-up?

A figure of £400 to £500 is quoted.

However, nowhere in the article in the SNJ ( June 7) is there any mention that efforts will be made to recover this cost from the travellers themselves.

And this I would suggest tends to be the standard practice when travellers illegally camp in the area – do nothing to recover the costs incurred.

Now I would say that this cost of removing their rubbish amounts to nothing more than theft from the council tax payers of Stroud – after all this is where that money will have come from.

So the question has to be asked as why there is not a more robust approach to dealing with this theft?

Also, in the online report about this encampment, there was a report that vehicle registration plates had been burnt on this site suggesting a possible attempt at hiding suspicious activity.

Furthermore, members of the public were subject to verbal abuse.

These are both matters that should warrant the attention of the local police but again, nothing to suggest that any action is being taken.

I cannot help but feel that the reason that there is inaction on the part of SDC and possibly the police in dealing with these activities is a fear of being called “racist” by the travellers.

So then the easy option is to do nothing and let the travellers know that they can get away with anything they want because SDC happens to be a bit of a “soft touch” when it comes to enforcement.

Both SDC and the police need to realise that to ignore criminal behaviour for fear of being called racist will only lead to bigger problems in the future as several councils and police forces across the land have found to their cost. Inaction due to fear of being called “racist” allows criminality and terrorism to flourish.

I pay my taxes and obey the laws of the land and see no reason why others should not do the same.

I have every expectation that some may consider me to be ‘racist’ for having the audacity to suggest that minority group should comply with the laws of the land but I think I can live with that and will certainly not lose any sleep over it.

Huw Niland

Stroud