Tip-offs lead to travellers eviction

Five caravans and four vehicles were forced to leave a field in Heath End, Pelsall, yesterday afternoon after settling on the site several weeks ago.

Neighbours had complained about fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.

A section 61 notice was served under the Criminal Justice and Public Order after the families moved onto the land.

They took up residence there on July 4 and action has now been taken to move on the travellers who have been based near where horses graze.

The move has been welcomed by residents but they have now complained about the amount of waste that has been left on the grassy area.

Pelsall resident Julie Clarke, aged 53, said: "It is a relief. There has been a lot of rubbish dumped, and they created a nuisance."

Council chiefs are now working with the land owner to clear the site of rubbish and to ensure that it is not a target for travellers in the future.

They have thanked residents for their help in passing on information about the travellers which has aided their investigations.

Councillor Mike Flower, cabinet member for environment at Walsall Council, said: "Residents from the local area have kept council officers up to date on this issue, and without their information we would not have been able to sort out this matter in such a short timescale.

"We would like to say a thank you to all those residents who assisted us in this."

Sgt Mari Amos, of the Rushall and Shelfield neighbourhood team, said: "A notice was served at 10.40am on four families at Pelsall Lane, Walsall, and the land was vacated by 1pm."

The latest move comes after travellers with six caravans settled on sports pitches off Curborough Road, Lichfield, during May. People in the area said their presence was scaring children and preventing them from using the sports pitches at a traditionally busy time of year.

This prompted Lichfield District Council staff to visit the site with police and serve a notice on the travellers, giving them 24 hours to vacate the site.

A clean-up operation has been carried out on the site, which is owned by the local authority.

It emerged recently that more than 1,000 gipsy pitches could be created on sites in the West Midlands area over the next eight years.

The Regional Spatial Strategy report said there was a need for an extra 939 permanent camps for gipsies and travellers and 244 temporary "transit" pitches, which were needed by 2017.