Increased concern about the anti-social behaviour of travellers in the Droitwich area this week has prompted the town’s MP, Sir Peter Luff, to ask local councils and the police what more can be done to stop the very serious nuisance being caused.
Sir Peter has praised the actions of Wychavon District council who he believes “have done all they could in the circumstances” but says he is “deeply concerned that travellers who know their way round the law seem to be making a mockery of the concerns of law-abiding, tax-paying residents.”
Sir Peter has written to West Mercia Police saying,
“After sporadic but worrying issues on the Berry Hill Industrial Estate over the past few months, we have now had serious issues with travellers in Ombersley Way and Addeyes Way.
“I would appreciate a statement from West Mercia on the steps you have taken to address the problems caused by these most recent events, and of the powers available to you to control this situation when, in the most recent case, we have had criminal damage and gross public nuisance caused by, among other things, defecation in public places.
“I would particularly appreciate any suggestions you may have to make it easier for you to exercise your powers, or any revision to those power you would like to see made to enable you to take more effective action against such totally unacceptable situations.
“I am sure you share my deep concern about the way law-abiding residents are being exposed to such behaviour – and the local council to such cost - and will also share my determination to do whatever can reasonably to be done to prevent any recurrence.”
Commenting, Sir Peter added,
“Sadly the A38 is a road that has been particularly popular with travellers for decades, hence the frequency of the problems we face in Droitwich. The real difficulty is in legislating against such behaviour - when a group of people know how to work their way round the law and are determined to do so, it is very hard to prevent them or to catch them in criminal acts without deploying a huge (and very expensive) level of resource from the police, or unintentionally infringing other people's rights.
“Society does depend on a level of shared responsibility and this is something these travellers manifestly do not have.”