Travellers set up camp on housing estate

A total of 11 caravans have been seen parked on grassland on a residential street in Burnley.

Nine of the caravans are located on grassland within an enclosure of houses on Harold Avenue and the other two were seen parked on adjacent land near a park and children's play area.

Police received calls about the appearance of travellers on Harold Avenue at 5pm on Sunday and Burnley's neighbourhood sergeant has carried out a site assessment.

The Calico Group, who own part of the land, said they have an action plan in place to remove the travellers and will be implementing it immediately.

Nichola Wright, assistant director of customer services for The Calico Group, said the company and the local authority will be taking action against the travellers on the site.

She said: “We have identified that travellers are currently on our land on Harold Avenue and the adjacent land, which is owned by the council.

"We have an agreement and action plan in place with Burnley Council when these circumstances arise, and we will be implementing this immediately.”

Some residents have expressed concerns over the 'mess' the travellers will leave behind and said that in the past travellers have used the nearby park as a 'toilet' and left litter scattered on the floor.

A ground worker, who has lived on Harold Avenue, for 16 years, said he wants them evicted after a travellers group had previously stolen his transit van outside his home.

The father-of-four, 51, said: "When travellers come here - which is often - they don't use toilets and create a horrible mess. Yet it's the residents who have to pay for it through council tax.

"We have taken our valuables upstairs to the bedroom to be safe because we're frightened to death they'll take it."

A 21-year-old mother, who lives on the street opposite, said: "They cause disruption and the police have been here before trying to manage it.

"They come around three or four times a year but thankfully they haven't hurt anyone."

Other residents said they had no issue with travellers moving onto the street so long as they aren't causing trouble.

A mum-of-four, 62, who lives on Harold Avenue, said: "They haven't caused any trouble and they have kept themselves to themselves so I don't have an issue with it."

A 28-year-old woman, who has lived on Harold Avenue for six months, said: "I do not mind them here so long as they are not causing any damage."