Travellers set up camp at Cannock leisure centre
A large convoy of travellers' caravans has occupied part of Chase Leisure Centre car park in Cannock sparking concerns that people will be put off attending.
Twenty-seven vehicles arrived at the site off the A34 Stafford Road at 8.15pm on Monday while the centre was still open. Staff called police but officers said they were unable to assist.
Cannock Chase Council have applied for an enforcement notice to evict the unwelcome visitors but say it may take days.
Their arrival comes just days after an illegal travellers' camp was set up on land in Bridgtown, just half a mile away.
Council leader George Adamson said: "I'm not happy. The town has become a target for travellers of late. This latest camp at the leisure centre, while staff and customers were milling about because the place was still open, was cheeky to say the least.
"Unfortunately we don't have an injunction in place for the leisure centre, which would have saved time, as we've never had a problem with travellers there before.
"As the legal process takes some time, my concern is that people won't want to park their cars there which isn't great for them and is not good for the centre either, which will lose custom."
Around 20 caravans and vans moved on to privately-owned land between Chris Bird Dental Care and Cannock Resource Centre on Walsall Road, Bridgtown, last Friday.
The council is looking into whether the travellers are breaking any planning control laws.
Recently an illegal camp was set up in Chadsmoor and earlier this year travellers also moved on to council-owned Martindale industrial estate. Last year caravans occupied Cannock Stadium site.
Staffordshire Police said they do not have powers to remove traveller encampments from public, council or privately-owned land solely on the basis they have committed civil trespass.
They said the onus was on the landowner to seek legal action to remove them.
