Exclusive: Taxpayers foot bill for illegal traveller camps

A survey of local authorities by the Yorkshire Post shows that hundreds of illegal camps are being dealt with every year – but only 14 new pitches for travelling families have been set up in the region, according to the Government's latest annual figures.

In Leeds, there were 740 complaints from the public about 126 illegal camps last year, 69 of them on council land. They cost the council 286,000 in clean-up costs, legal and security fees.

The Tory councillor in charge of the issue in Leeds, Les Carter, has backed a proposal by Tory leader David Cameron to create a new criminal offence of "intentional trespass" which would give police power to arrest trespassers who refuse to move on after being asked.

Coun Carter said: "Unauthorised parking is a civil offence not a criminal offence, and as such it does not break criminal law. However, it has long been my view that it should be made a criminal offence, which would mean that encampments were moved with greater speed. I have personally made this point to the Shadow Minister responsible for this issue."

Leeds Council, which currently runs one official site for travellers, had no plans to create any more, despite the offer of Government grants, because it would land taxpayers with a long-term bill, said Coun Carter.

Councils across Yorkshire face hundreds of complaints a year

and big bills for dealing with illegal camps.

In Kirklees, the bill for dealing with 24 camps in three years was 48,000 and Doncaster had a legal bill of 29,000 in three years.

Wakefield's legal bill over three years was 13,000 and North Yorkshire County Council forked out 11,000 over 64 unauthorised camps in three years.

Government figures show that last year only 14 new individual pitches were created – two in Barnsley, ten in Beverley and two in Burn, Selby, out of only 90 new pitches across the UK.

Critics of current policy claim that it is time to give councils greater powers to deal with illegal camps.

Shipley Tory MP Philip Davies said: "It is bad enough that the local community has to live with the trail of litter and disruption often left by these illegal gipsy camps, but it is even worse that they are paying so much money through their council tax to clear up after them.

"We have got to stop pussyfooting around and make sure that local authorities have the powers they need to deal with this menace as effectively and cheaply as possible."

And the chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, Matthew Elliott, said: "These illegal camps are not just harmless settlements, they are hugely damaging to the local environment and very expensive for taxpayers.

"It is clearly wrong that these flagrant and costly breaches of the law are being tolerated. Why should breaking the law be indulged, whilst the

law-abiding public have to foot the bill?"

Campaigners on traveller issues have accused politicians of failing to get to grips with the issues.

Helen Jones, of Leeds Gipsy and Traveller Exchange, said it was clear that official sites needed finding but councillors were too scared of losing their seats to say this and to suggest locations.

She said "punitive" solutions would not work and neither would David Cameron's suggestion of "intentional trespass" because it would penalise ramblers.

Ms Jones wants more official sites, coupled with "negotiated stopping places" where travellers can park up for short periods with the blessing of councils.

She said the existing official site at Cottingley Springs, Leeds, had seen the number of pitches drop by 15.