"Clamp travellers' vehicles" says councillor

Stop them till they clear up or pay up

A group of about 20 travellers' vehicles have moved from a Newton Abbot park after a court order was granted to remove them - only to set up camp at another park.

Now a Teignbridge District Councillor, Gordon Hook, has called for travellers to be clamped until they pay for any mess they create.

Posting on his blog, the member for the Buckland ward says: “No sooner had the council acted to remove them from Bakers Park, than they decamp to Sandringham. Let me say at this point that I defend anyone’s right to live the life they choose, provided it does not impact negatively on the lives of others.

“In the case of these travellers, sadly they do impact negatively all too often. Everywhere they go, a large quantity of “mess” is the consequence, so when they move on the local authority has an expensive clean-up operation. I would like to see authorities that provide the required number of pitches allowed to clamp the travellers’ vehicles until costs incurred by the travellers are paid.

“I would like to see authorities that provide the required number of pitches allowed to clamp the travellers’ vehicles until costs incurred by the travellers are paid. It isn’t simply the clear up costs of mess left behind, but other issues such as breakages to gates and fences which are often broken down to gain access to land.”

Council officers had been trying to move on the travellers from Bakers Park for two weeks after they knocked down a locked gate to access the site. They were served with an eviction notice after a hearing at the County Court on Monday, but moved to Sandringham Park.

Teignbridge District Council visited the site on Tuesday to them give verbal notice to leave, the first stage of the legal process.