Travellers set up camp on Walsall injunction site

A group of six caravans turned up at the Lichfield Road site on Tuesday evening, ignoring an injunction preventing them from doing so.

The encampment has led to calls from councillor Anthony Harris, who represents Walsall Wood, for 'something to be done'.

He said: "I think it is absolutely ridiculous, we just seem to be running around like headless chickens here, there is nothing we have done which is stopping this.

"Travellers have been everywhere all over Walsall in recent weeks.

"There comes a point where something has to be done and I know our local MPs have been talking about this but it is time for action now surely.

"It isn't fair on residents that they have to pay for the mess to be cleaned up.

"These people are taking advantage of the good nature we have all over this country but it must be known that Walsall is a soft touch because they are always turning up here.

"This site is covered by an injunction and that doesn't even stop them."

Recently, Aldridge-Brownhills MP Wendy Morton called for a 'three strikes rule' allowing police to seize traveller vehicles that persistently break the law during a debate in Westminster Hall.

During the debate, she urged ministers to explore new legislation giving police powers to impound and sell the assets of travellers who repeatedly set up illegal encampments.

She also launched a scathing attack on Walsall Council for failing to properly secure sites in the borough, enabling travellers to swiftly move from one illegal camp to another.

A year ago Walsall Council secured an injunction providing greater powers to boot travellers off 12 sites in the borough but since then it has seen other plots targeted more frequently with large encampments of more than 40 caravans doing the rounds at Aldridge Airport, Barr Beacon and Walsall Arboretum among other plots.

Of the latest encampment, Walsall Council said: “We are aware of the Unauthorised Encampment at the old Oak Park site, which is a location covered by an injunction. Community Protection Officers have visited the site to serve the injunction papers and will work with police colleagues to resecure the land as soon as possible.”