Taxpayers foot bill for illegal traveller camps

TAXPAYERS in Yorkshire are paying tens of thousands of pounds a year to deal with illegal traveller camps as councils resist Government pressure to find land and build legal campsites.

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

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