SWIFT action was taken to evict travellers from a Bournemouth park yesterday - only for them to move two miles up the road.

Bournemouth council and Dorset Police wasted no time in moving on around 20 traveller caravans that arrived at Slades Farm on Wednesday.

Because the Dorset Fire Fayre was due to take place at Slades Farm this weekend, the police were able to direct travellers to leave and not return for three months.

Bournemouth Council tweeted that the travellers had left and the rest of the borough was on “lockdown”.

But just a short time later, 13 traveller caravans thought to be from the same group arrived at Pelhams Leisure Centre in Kinson.

Michael Rowland, Parks Development Manager, said; “Our council officers are in the process of taking swift action following a recent unauthorised encampment in the grounds of Pelhams Leisure Centre.

“They are doing all they can, taking the necessary legal action to regain possession of this site. In the meantime, our Council officers will visit the site on a regular basis to monitor the situation and are working with BH Live to ensure that this does not impact on the services the leisure centre provides to local residents.”

Meanwhile, the travellers who have been camping in a public car park at Baiter in Poole have been given their marching orders.

The borough of Poole went to court today seeking confirmation of their eviction notice. The travellers, who had earlier told council officials that they would be gone last weekend, were given 24 hours to leave.

Last night around nine caravans moved onto at Whitecliff Harbourside Park in Poole.

Peter Haikin, regulatory services manager at the Borough of Poole, said: “We are legally obliged to consider the welfare, health and educational needs of the travellers, before seeking a court order to evict them from our land.

He added: “We continually look at all sites in the borough to assess how much security is required, but it would not be appropriate to adopt a fortress approach, as in some cases greater security would interfere with proper use by residents.”

An eye witness said the scene was chaotic as travellers' vehicles drove over the grass to get in as other visitors to the site - mainly dog walkers or people taking an evening stroll- tried to get out of the car park at the same time.

“I think we have been let down,” said Whitecliff resident Barbara Plumbridge, who suggested the group should have been monitored when served with an eviction order at nearby Baiter.
Grouped as they were near the children’s play park, she said she doubted if there would be any children playing there.

Councillor Ann Stribley said: “It’s virtually impossible to make any large open areas totally inaccessible to someone determined to get on.”

But she said measures could have been taken to block the driveway onto Whitecliff with a council vehicle when it was known the travellers were on the move.

“Councillors are extremely upset about it, having done everything we could to make the area reasonably secure.”

And she said that having previously been camped on a council car park at Baiter, the travellers should be pursued for parking charges by the borough.

The original travellers based at Turlin Moor have all left and council officers were due to attend court today to seek an eviction order for those remaining on site. This would mean that they would have 24 hours leave to clear the site.

A local resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It happens every year. I have talked to a few other residents about this and they are angry that the travellers are here. At the weekend, this place is a Mecca for sports and now dog walkers and children who want to play sport may not want to come here.”

Don Siddons, 65, from Baiter, said he was helped out by one of the travellers last week.

He said: “I don’t mind them. Last week when my electric buggy cut out. They came over to ask if I needed help and then pushed the buggy across the green for me.”

  • Traveller Patrick Rielly said: "We were camped in a car park (Baiter) and the police told us to move on here.

"I know it's probably the wrong area but we were told to come here. We're not causing a problem - we've been doing our best to keep it tidy. There's no rubbish around.

"He said the travellers were there on "holiday", adding that the gate was opened to let them into the land.

However, one resident, who didn't want to be named, said: "Someone I know saw them getting onto the land using bolt cutters."I understand that they have to go somewhere. But it's just frustrating for residents.

"RSPCA Inspector Graham Hammond visited the site on Friday to allegations of cruelly to an animal.He was accompanied by three police officers.However, he did not leave the site with the animal.

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