I am aware that traveller sites have sprung up across Spelthorne in the past few days. I believe that these sites are moving around various locations, and some of the travellers have destroyed bollards, padlocks and other measures designed to protect our parks and green spaces to gain access.
I am appalled by this situation. I have spoken directly to Spelthorne Borough Council, who I understand are working with enforcement officers and Surrey Police to address this issue as a matter of urgency. Some of these travellers have not been in the Borough before. This means a court order is needed before they can be moved on, and the Borough Council have already set this in motion.
I hope to visit some of the affected sites soon. I will continue to liaise with the Borough Council over the next few days. In the longer term, the Government has recently held a consultation on the effectiveness of current powers, including local authority and police powers, to address problems with the travelling community, and I hope that there will be some further news on this soon.