'I’m so mad as it looks like a tip' - fury as travellers leave rubbish on land in Harborough

“It’s on the country park and sports pitches, rubbish everywhere, human waste in the hedges and the tunnels full of rubbish too,” said one resident
This pitcure shows the travellers pitching up at the site at about 8pm last Wednesday night (July 15).This pitcure shows the travellers pitching up at the site at about 8pm last Wednesday night (July 15).
This pitcure shows the travellers pitching up at the site at about 8pm last Wednesday night (July 15).

Fury has erupted after piles of rubbish were dumped on land near new homes on the northern outskirts of Market Harborough.

Angry residents are accusing a group of travellers of dumping rubbish all over the site by the new Wellington Place estate off Leicester Road.

The travellers, who have five caravans and six horses with them, pitched up at about 8pm last Wednesday night (July 15).

One local woman has told the Market Harborough Coronavirus Support Facebook page that there is a “mountain of rubbish scattered all over the field”.

“There is a massive pile of clear plastic bags of rubbish all torn open, around 10/15 sacks, and it is a complete and utter mess,” she said.

“I’m so mad as it looks like a tip.”

Another local replied: “It is disgusting.

“It’s on the country park and sports pitches, rubbish everywhere, human waste in the hedges and the tunnels full of rubbish too.”

A furious woman added: “I too live on the estate and am absolutely appalled at what has happened, you don't buy a lovely house with beautiful surroundings for this to happen.”

Cllr Phil King, who leads Harborough District Council, said: “I understand the landowner is seeking a legal injunction to force these travellers to move on.

“It’s the responsibility of the landowner to clean up the land and I’m sure they’ll do that in due course.”

He said the district council has nine established traveller sites throughout Harborough.

“We also have transit sites, too, for groups such as this one which are passing through from place to place.

“We have adequate provision here in Harborough,” said Cllr King.

“But the trouble is that a number of other districts in Leicestershire have no sites at all.

“And that puts more pressure on us as a result and this sort of thing happens.”

The incident has been reported to Harborough police while Leicestershire and Leicester City Multi Agency Travellers Unit has also visited the group.

A spokesman for the builders’ consortium which owns the land said: “We were told about this on Wednesday night by our security guard as he checked the area.

“This is a case of civil trespass.

“We have spoken to the local police about it.

“We are going to the High Court to get an injunction to force this group of travellers to get off our land and move on as soon as possible.”