Persistence isn’t paying off for a group of travellers who repeatedly return to try and access Council land in Gosport, Hampshire, to set up a site.
For the third time in less than a week, Gosport Borough Council’s Enforcement team have had to take to the streets to block vehicular access to a host of Council sites.
On Tuesday 27 February following a call from a member of the public, officers chased a series of vehicles containing travellers around the Borough before shepherding them out of the town.
This scene was again repeated on Friday when another group were found trying to access land at Brookers Field.
Not willing to accept defeat they returned again today with a different plan of action. A group turned up at the tree tip alongside the Hampshire Waste Recycling Centre in Grange Road this morning and offered a contractor working there a wide screen TV in exchange for a key to the barriers, the ones used to stop access onto Council land.
After refusing, the contractor immediately blocked the site with his van and put in a call. Within seconds, Officers were out on the roads to ensure all access points were secure.”
A chase resumed until the group were finally, with the assistance of the Police, shown the road out of town.
“I am delighted with today’s result and in the way the staff responded,” said Councillor Dennis Wright, Chairman of the Community & Environment Board, the panel responsible for all the Councils open land, parks and pitches.
“It is the great teamwork at Streetscene that makes their response so efficient. Everyone from the people answering the initial telephone calls to the Enforcement Officers and contractors who pull out all the stops to block access and drive them out of town. They are all to be commended for a job well done.”
If you see someone acting suspiciously who you think might be a scout looking for access to land then Streetscene staff will be delighted to take your call on FREEPHONE 08000 198598.
