Travellers and the inaction of Newport City Council.

TRAVELLERS who moved on to council playing fields are threatening a major youth football tournament.

Around 25 traveller caravans arrived on Coronation Park, Lliswerry, on Monday afternoon, allegedly breaking a locked gate to gain entry.

No they did not as the paper put it "gain entry" they broke in, something that travellers are rather good at. If I lived in that part of Newport I would not be planning any holidays away whilst they are in the local area.

Parents and officials at Newport Corinthians fear their annual football festival on May 13 could be cancelled and months of planning ruined if the travellers refuse to move.

Ok so the authorities are aware that they have committed trespass and yet are just asking them nicely to move along? Why not insist rather strongly with say a few dozen of the local police in tow?

Last August the club had to cancel dozens of games and a summer barbecue after travellers took over the field.

Tonnes of mess were left behind, including bags full of waste and human faeces that cost the council £10,000 to clean up.

Right so lets get this right, they went there before and now they are back again to take over the same field, our council has no plan in place for dealing with this asap? Also why not spend some money on say a stronger security system after they no doubt asked them nicely to move along the last time.

The secretary of the Corinthians mini-section, who did not want to be named, said around 3,500 people from across Gwent, including 800 youth players, are due to attend the festival.

She added: "The work involved in organising this has been absolutely phenomenal. I've put in hours and hours since January, with health and safety plans, risk assessments, traffic plans.
"This is the type of event that keeps the club running.

Not that your travellers have to worry about things like risk assessments, traffic plans or health and safety, mind you they don't seem to worryed about things like illegal trespass, tax on their vehicles, other peoples rights, or even paying council tax.

"Last year the travellers put us back months. They just turn up and destroy everything."
Lliswerry councillor Allan Morris said the latest development was a "major concern."

Well Mr Morris is right that this is a major concern, were I in your shoes I would be asking some rather sharp questions of the local police, such as why they have not charged anyone for trespass, why they have not checked the tax of the travellors vehicles and why they not enforced the law that the rest of us - who actually pay council tax - have to live and abide by? Why no actions on prior occasions when travellers have broken the laws of the land?

On another minor point councillor Morris were I in your shoes I would also be worried about the fact that there is an election on May 3rd.

Police and Newport council are working together to reduce any impact to the community.
A council spokesman said the authority was assessing the situation and will take "appropriate action".

What is to be assessed, its simple you get pc plod out of his office and with a few dozen officers of the law, you blitz them for every traffic violation, trespass and any other legal point that some police office can think up. Thats all the "appropriate action" that needs to be taken.

Chief superintendent Kevin Price, commander of A division Newport police, said police would take steps to make sure any impact on the community and environment is kept to "an absolute minimum."

Oh and exactly how are you going to be doing that Chief superintendent Price? Give them a stern talking to? Wag your finger at them, the only finger waving will be from the travellers in your direction. Somewhat like what David Cameron recieved from that feral youth a while back. You are an officer of the Queens Law, or did that fact escape you after leaving Hendon? Put the donuts down and leave your political correctness guide to policing and go enforce the laws already on the statute books to get said travellers off and moving to some place else outside the city bounds.

He said police will deal with any criminality that is reported and take criminal proceedings against the travellers depending on evidence and witnesses.

Well gee that is just so nice of him, he will enforce the law, well seems that he is not doing a lot of enforcing now is he? Last time I looked trespass was a criminal offense.

It is thought many of the travellers on Coronation Park are from the same group who moved on to Duffryn High School playing fields on the weekend.

Oh it gets better and better, after moving them on the police then lose track of them, or lose interest the moment they were on the way and so they decide to park up a few miles down the road and start the whole fiasco up again. One has to wonder at why the police did not follow them for a few hours to ensure that they left the city? One does wonder why councillor Allan Morris has not pulled up the local police on that point? Maybe the local donut shop was open at that point and our fine boys and gals in uniform stopped off for lunch.

Chief superintendent Price said that group have cooperated with the authorities in the last week. All have moved on from there.

Oh dear not doing our job very well are we Mr Price! They cooperated and decided to move along after breaking the laws of the land in the first place. To the poor suffering people of Newport I just say this - ask what our beloved council is going to do about this, if they give you any flannel and spin on this then point out that there is an election coming up on May 3rd.

Oh but wait there is more it would appear that the local council bods are not to hot on moving illegal travellers from where ever they decide to set up camp, below is another report from our local rag the South Wales Argus on travellers and lo and behold seems that Lliswerry councillor Allan Morris has had dealing with them before!

A quick trawl of the internet and a Google of Mr Morris found another traveller related gem:

A NEWPORT councillor is calling for immediate action after gipsies set up an illegal camp near Newport's flagship velodrome.

Oh I wonder who that might be?

The camp of four caravans pulled up on land at the entrance to the centre in Newport's international sports village at around 7pm last night.

Local councillor Allan Morris is calling for the gipsies to be moved on as soon as possible. He said: "We are trying to create an international reputation for the sports village and the velodrome, having an illegal camp at the entrance to such important sporting venues does not look good for Newport.

But wait you let them stay causing problems rather than enforcing the law, or even insisting that our police enforce the law.

"I will be looking for immediate action to be taken to move the camp on." It is the latest in a long line of illegal gipsy camps that have been set up in Newport over the past year.

Hang on a moment there, you said a similar soundbite at the top the page, when the travellers have also hit other sites before and after this. Just what exactly have you done previously and what are you going to be doing for the voters of Newport?

In May caravans moved on to land near the LG site in Coedkernew and at the same time another group also set up camp on nearby Peterstone Common.

Here we are look as reported by the South Wales Argus.

In March a group was moved on from the LG site after gaining entry by smashing a barrier.

Oh dear and even some at the LG site. Seems that our council doesn't have a brilliant track record here.

Last July, we reported how the council faced a £100,000 bill for clearing the `health hazard' left behind by a group of travellers after they were evicted from the LG site.

So no charges for criminal damage after smashing a barrier, no charges for trespass, it looks like your cops seem to not be bothered with this, mind you counciller Allan Morris also seems not to bothered, also the rest of the council seems not to have any plan of action.

Nice to see that his inactions, the inactions of the rest of the council and officials thereof and the inactions on the part of our police resulted in £100,000 added to our council tax bills.

The group then moved to Newport's Tredegar House - just three weeks before the National Eisteddfod was due to begin.

So what are they doing to resolve this, police and court actions? Sending in Regan & Carter from the flyiing squad, well not quite.

Since then the council has been looking at the possibility of building a permanent site for travellers.

I say what a spiffing idea, lets reward the criminal for being a criminal. Who thinks this stuff up? You break the laws and our council plans on rewarding you!

It could cost £800,000 to build but could save the authority thousands in eviction costs. Councillor Morris added: "The problem is that there are many decent families within the gipsy fraternity, there are just a few who are breaking the rules and making it difficult for everybody."
So anyone who is concerned can of course raise this will Allan Morris on (+44) 01633 250388 or e-mail alan.morris@newport.gov.uk

It would appear that the actions or rather the inactions of Councillor Morris and the other overpaid elected bodies are making things difficult for everybody.

Tags: Coronation Park
Lliswerry
Newport Corinthians
councillor Allan Morris
South Wales Argus
Tredegar House

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