A SENIOR politician has demanded stronger powers for police and council to tackle illegal travellers' encampments in the wake of May's invasion of the Thwaites brewery site.

Blackburn with Darwen borough deputy leader Andy Kay makes the call in a report to Thursday's full Council Forum.

It says: "We recently responded to the government consultation on powers for dealing with unauthorised encampments.

"In summary we emphasised that we need clearer police powers as there is currently a degree of discretion in moving on encampments; local authorities do not have the training to deal with enforcement when travellers are not behaving appropriately and again the police need stronger powers; local authorities would benefit from a reasonably quick power of seizure in appropriate circumstances; and the court process for possession is too slow."

Cllr Kay said: "We need more efficient and appropriate powers. This mainly applies travellers on council-owned property but also private land as shown by recent encampments on the Thwaites brewery site in May and Axis Park in Lower Darwen last month."