Travellers return to west Hull site just weeks after being moved on

TRAVELLERS have returned to a site in Hull just weeks after being moved on by the council.

About 30 caravans have taken over land for a second time near Haltemprice Street, close to a new housing regeneration scheme.

Despite attempts from Hull CIty Council to move them out of the area last month, the travellers have returned to west Hull.

A man, who did not wish to be named, said the council should take steps to find the travellers a suitable base.

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He said: "It is very frustrating. There is obviously little that can be done to stop the travellers moving back to the area.

"The council should maybe give them an area they can use and provide facilities for them to keep the site clean and tidy.

"They pose no threat to the residents and the only real problems is the occasional litter and noise late in the evening."

The group set up on land off Haltemprice Street in August, before moving to the nearby Amy Johnson site.

They moved off the site when the council began legal action but have now returned.

Residents now hold mixed views on what the council should be doing to tackle the problem.

Not all are happy with the ease in which the travellers have returned.

Maggie Sewell, of Woburn Street, said the travellers are becoming a huge problem for the area.

She said: "The problem just doesn't seem to be going away.

"They leave a lot of litter and are generally very untidy.

"The council really needs to sort this problem out otherwise they will continue to come back and cause problems for residents."

The current site is not subject to an immediate possession order but the council has again turned to the courts to throw the travellers off.

Laura Carr, head of physical regeneration at Hull City Council, said: "We share the residents' concerns and we are doing all we can to resolve the issues as quickly as possible.

"We have applied to the courts to have the travellers evicted from th Haltemprice Street site and this is now in the hands of the bailiffs, although we have been told that because of a backlog there may be a longer wait than usual."

The travellers first arrived at Millport Drive on the Boothferry estate in August before heading to land close to Kelvin Hall School, off Bricknell Avenue, west Hull.

From here, they moved to the site of the former Lambwath School, off Saltshouse Road, east Hull.

Travellers were criticised for leaving a mess, with residents claiming human excrement has been left on the sites they were evicted from.

The council moved quickly to secure the Lambwath School to ensure no more travellers could get on.

Hull City Council cleared the land and installed a chain and padlock. A rubble mound was also put in place.