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Travellers in Prospect, Worksop, prompt flurry of calls to police
A GROUP of travellers remain on a field just metres from a Worksop primary school – a week after they arrived – and residents and parents are demanding they move on.
About 12 caravans and eight horses arrived on the field in Northwood next to Prospect Hill Junior and Infant School at about 10pm on Thursday.
Though the school and nearby residents say they have not yet experienced any major upsets, the noise, rubbish and untethered animals are enough for people to want them gone.
Worksop police received six calls last Thursday night informing them that the travellers had arrived and informed Bassetlaw Council.
Coun Terry Yates, portfolio holder for finance and property and the council's deputy leader, said: "We served a notice to vacate the area on Friday and are currently going through the process of issuing proceedings to recover possession of the site."
But residents in the area are not happy and say they want to see the field returned to the use of the surrounding community as soon as possible.
Geoff, 59, and Nina Gale, 62, live opposite the travellers' temporary site on Beechcroft and are not impressed with their new neighbours.
"I'm all for the idea of live and let live but when I have to get up and go to work in the morning, it's no good me having to listen to dogs barking all night," said Geoff.
The couple say a neighbour's ginger tom cat, Elliott, is too frightened to go back home as there are so many dogs roaming around.
"There must be seven or eight Jack Russell dogs loose on the field and the horses aren't properly tethered either," said Nina.
"People usually walk their dogs out on that field but they're too scared to at the moment. Our cat has a bad leg and would have no chance."
June Wilson, 64, who lives on nearby Northwood finds herself disturbed by the noise from the site.
"On Monday night, it was really bad. I don't know what they were doing but there was a lot of clanging and loud music," she said.
A mum-of-three, who did not wish to be named, walks past the site to take her children to school and is worried that someone is going to get hurt by the dogs or horses.
"I am seriously considering not taking my kids into school. I was with them this morning and a horse leapt out in front of us," she said.
"There are dogs running around everywhere as well and I think they really need to be moved on."
Her five-year-old daughter added: "The playground at school smells really bad. All I can smell is horse poo.”
Kathryn Lancaster, who is headteacher at Prospect Infant School, says that she has not had any problems with the travellers reported directly to her.
“I think by the time we arrived at school at 9am on Friday, there had already been a lot of calls to the police,” she said.
“Some parents are certainly concerned and we do have to consider the health and safety of the children as a priority.”
“We are keeping a careful eye on the children and are making sure they keep away from where the travellers are.”
“Though I think a lot of the kids are actually quite enjoying looking at the horses.”
Two of the travellers told the Guardian that they always stop off somewhere in Worksop before heading on to Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria, which begins in the first week in June.
A council spokesman said everything was being done to get the travellers moved on: “We are in the process of issuing proceedings in the county court and will obtain a hearing as soon as possible.”
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Weather for Worksop
Sunday 27 May 2012
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Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
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Temperature: 11 C to 25 C
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