“Frightened and fed up” residents who are sick of travellers camping illegally in Luton are hoping to persuade the council to enforce a zero tolerance policy at a meeting on Monday.
Wigmore councillors have asked the council’s executive to protect open land and immediately evict travellers “as a matter of urgency”.
Open land at Hedley Rise, Laxton Close and Falstone Green are named as areas which need the most urgent protection, after recent battles to remove travellers who are now in Manor Road.
Lib Dem councillor for Wigmore, Diane Moles, said: “The mess, the filth, the muck that the travellers leave behind is unbelievable. They are permanently here, they just move around from site to site. They make people afraid, they are aggressive, they break the rules and nobody does anything about it. For some reason in Luton the laws are on their side. They are sponging off society and why should we put up with it?”
Councillor Moles said travellers park vans close to residents’ fences and use the gap inbetween as toilets, which in hot weather is “even worse”.
She said: “They frighten people – the fear residents have when travellers are close to their properties, because they don’t object to breaking down fences. Then there’s the money it costs to evict them and clean up. Herts Council seem to have zero tolerance and that’s why they come here instead.”
Wigmore residents are hoping people will come to the executive meeting at 6pm on Monday in the Town Hall to support their campaign.
Luton Borough Council have spent £23,000 evicting travellers so far this year, and spent £27,248 last year.
The report also calls for the Travellers’ Hotline for residents to report travellers to be reviewed as it currently provides an “unacceptable service”. Luton resident Rob Palmer has used the service and said it is a “waste of time”.
It is hoped the council will invite police to attend evictions of travellers in order to prevent them moving illegally to another area, and enforce the law regarding criminal damage.