Travellers convoy arrives on Wolverhampton playing field

The group has moved onto land in Wolverhampton and damaged fencing and bollards, according to a ward councillor.

The camp has been established on playing fields in Proud’s Lane, Bilston.

Councillor Phil Page labelled the travellers’ actions ‘a bitter pill to swallow’ and said he has asked for council chiefs to block the entrance to the site so no other travellers could move on.

He said fencing had been vandalised and bollards, which were supposed to stop vehicles going onto the fields, had been damaged.

One resident told the Express & Star the travellers’ arrival had meant children and dog walkers were worried about walking around the area.

Councillor Page said: “For hardworking, council tax-paying residents, this is a bitter pill to swallow.

“We notified the council officers as soon as we realised that the barriers had been vandalised, and that caravans were moving on.

“The council has spent an awful lot of money, and obviously we’re concerned about the damage that’s been done.

“Someone has vandalised the fencing and bollards that are there to stop cars driving onto the fields have been damaged.

“We’ve got no doubt we will have to clean up the mess after.”

Councillor Page said he has asked council officers to park a lorry across the entrance to stop any more moving in.

He added: “People are frightened about their property, about their children going to school. I understand officers of the authority will be applying an order to remove them from the site but it does take time.

“Of course it’s the taxpayers who will have to pay for this.”

When travellers previously moved onto the site nearly four years ago, Councillor Page said damage they caused cost thousands of pounds to fix.

A 21-year-old resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said the travellers have ‘ripped up metal fencing’ and were causing a noise nuisance.

She said: “The kids all don’t want to go out and play or ride their bikes around there. People also aren’t able to do dog walks around there which obviously the neighbours are really annoyed at.

“The litter already, there’s just bin bags spread across the field.

“There’s fencing all around the fields and bollards, they have ripped up the metal fencing to be able to make a driveway for the caravans and the cars.

“It’s just the noise of it and just knowing that they’ve been there before and the metal fences were put up there because of them.”

Back in February, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson held a summit to look at the problem of travellers across the region.

He was hoping to find a regional solution to end the problem of travellers being moved on from one area just to set up another illegal camp in another.

The summit, which was attended by MPs, other PCCs, senior police officers, council officials and members of the travelling community, heard how the number of unauthorised sites in the West Midlands has risen from 189 to 395 since 2011.

Mr Jamieson came up with a five-point ‘action plan’ following the meeting in an attempt to try to combat the problem.