BOLLARDS and barriers are being erected throughout the borough following an influx of gipsies.
Over the past week Nuneaton and Bedwor th Borough Council and Warwickshire Police have been working together to remove a group of travellers who have been flitting from one site to another.
Having moved them on from a car park at the Jubilee Centre in Greenmoor Road on Wednesday night after issuing a Section 61 Order, the travellers returned to a field next to the Pingles Leisure Centre in Avenue Road yesterday which they were also on over the weekend.
At the time of going to press, they had moved again after being issued notices under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 - Section 77, ordering them to leave by 5pm today.
While they look for alternative accommodation, the borough council is taking preventative measures at `at risk’ sites including putting up bollards and barriers at public spaces.
Alan Franks, managing director for Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said that the situation could not continue as it causes disruption to the local community.
“We will not tolerate the illegal encampment of vehicles on our land,” he said.
“We are working with our partner agencies to ensure that the impact of these encampments causes minimum effect on the wider community and will use all of our necessary powers to ensure that this issue is addressed.”
Both the council and Warwickshire Police are working together to monitor the situation.
Paul Kemp, on behalf of the Nuneaton and Bedworth Safer Neighbourhoods Teams, said: “We will continue to work closely with the council to remove illegal encampments and will deploy the powers needed.”
Previous traveller hot spots have included the playing field opposite the former Manor Park School site.
This received `anti gipsy’ measures late last year including raising the ground and digging ditches to stop caravans and mobile homes from getting on the land.
