Travellers have pitched up in Lutterworth

Travellers have pitched up in Lutterworth - hours after a group were forced to leave Market Harborough.

The Anglo-Irish group of several caravans and assorted vehicles set up camp on Lilac Drive, off Brookfield Way, Lutterworth, at about 10pm last night (Thursday).

They landed on grassland off Lilac Drive after a group of travellers were forced to leave a site off Wellington Place, Market Harborough, on Wednesday night.

Police and Leicestershire County Council’s Multi Agency Traveller Unit (MATU) have today gone to see the travellers on Lilac Drive.

And they were ordered to leave by 5pm this afternoon.

The authorities are acting after local residents made their shock and anger clear on social media.

Lutterworth police said: “MATU and local officers have attended the site and served notice under S61 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.”

The order instructs the tight-knit little unit to move on.

“The group will be moving later today.

“We are increasing patrols in relation to the calls we are receiving,” said police.

“We have had a number of tweets about an unauthorised encampment in Lutterworth.

“The team have been down this morning to talk to the group.

“The Multi Agency Traveller team are dealing and investigating.”

A Multi Agency Travellers Unit spokesperson said: “Travellers arrived on Lilac Drive, Lutterworth, last night (23 July).

“We have served them a notice, on behalf of the landowners, to vacate the site by 5pm today (24 July), which will be enforced by the police.”

Frustrated Cllr Phil King, who leads Harborough District Council, said: “This is very disappointing.

“They shouldn’t be there.

“They shouldn’t be setting up camp on either public or private land and the sooner they go the better.”

Cllr King again called for more transit travellers sites to be set up throughout Leicestershire.

“We have several in Harborough district but there should be more of these temporary sites across the county,” he insisted.