Travellers to be evicted

From the Batsley and Birstall News

TRAVELLERS camped on Carter’s Fields are set to be evicted tomorrow (Friday).

Coun Shabir Pandor (Lab, Batley West) told Tuesday’s Area Committee meeting that County Court bailiffs were on stand-by to evict the Travellers at 11am, with a towing firm also lined up to move the caravans if necessary.

Kirklees Council got a special court order for the council-owned fields, off North Bank Road, Carlinghow, on Monday.

Around six or seven caravans moved onto the top field on Sunday June 17, sparking complaints from nearby residents.

Carlinghow and Cross Bank Neighbourhood Watch vice-chair Patricia Crisp told Tuesday’s meeting that she had been flooded with complaints about rubbish on the site, dog and horse excrement and men ‘using the field as a toilet’ and even exposing themselves.

She said: “The field is damaged due to four-by-four cars driving all over the place and horses and dogs racing around.”

Mrs Crisp said she was concerned the fields would not be repaired in time for the upcoming football season, which begins in August.

“Rate-payers will have to pay for all the damage done because the Travellers won’t,” she said.

Coun Pandor said the fields would be cleared before the football season and that the eviction notice, which was delivered to the Travellers yesterday (Wednesday), will ensure they cannot return to Carter’s Fields for 12 months.

“We are taking it very, very seriously,” he said.

“The priority for us is that when they are moved off, within the legal process, the football field will be restored.”

Traveller Kathleen McGinley told the News there was no rubbish on the fields and said the grass would soon grow back over the tyre tracks.

Last week the council said the eviction could be delayed because one of the travellers was due to give birth. But yesterday a council spokesman said unless they were advised that the woman couldn’t be moved on medical grounds, the eviction would go ahead as planned.