Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, has won his campaign to see a group of travellers forced to move on from their camp in Cheslyn Hay Sport and Community High School’s car park.
Staffordshire Police visited the site after receiving a report that travellers had parked four caravans, two vans and two cars at the car park, late last Wednesday.
They spoke to the occupants, but reportedly stated that it was a matter that needed to be resolved between the landowner and the caravans’ occupants.
Parents were assured, on Friday, that the travellers would be moved on before the pupils returned from their half-term holidays. However, the following Monday the travellers had still not left and severe disruption was caused as parents sought to drop of their children, with buses being forced to divert to the nearby leisure centre car park.
Gavin contacted the County Council and the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, expressing his outrage over the ‘illegal invasion’ and arguing that action needed to be taken immediately to ensure that the travellers moved off site.
The police visited the car park again later that day and issued an order for the travellers to depart. They left the premises shortly afterwards.
This morning, the car park remained closed as staff sought to clear all the rubbish from the site.
Gavin said: “This is clearly a triumph for common sense. It seems absurd in this day and age that a group of people can trespass for close to a week next to a school, without consequences. While I am delighted that they have finally departed from the site, I do feel that more needs to be done in the future to prevent further incidents of this sort.”