Ayr showground mess isn't fair

Sep 11 2009 by Stuart Wilson

A HUGE clean-up operation greeted showpeople when they arrived in Ayr this week.

Workers were due to set up their gear for the famous Codona Funfair, due to open today (Thursday).

But they were faced with a rubbish tip left behind by travellers who objected to leaving the site.

Trouble almost flared on Sunday when the Codona group rolled into town for their popular two-week fair.

But their base was occupied by a group of travellers – who weren’t for moving.

After a brief stand-off the travellers agreed to shift camp, but made their mark on the site before leaving.

Now the showpeople face a race against time to get the site cleaned up ahead of a council visit.

Stall holder John Irvin explained: “This isn’t a new problem for us, but usually the travellers will accept the land is ours and move on.

“However, this time we faced a lot of backlash and they left the place in a right state.

“There’s gas tanks, all sorts of rubbish and a smashed up caravan – and it’s now up to us to clean the mess away.

“The council come for a site visit to grant us our licence, but if we haven’t cleared up the mess left by other people, we won’t be able to open.”

The row is just the latest in a long line of problems involving the travelling community, who are increasingly setting up camps around South Ayrshire.

Authorities are relatively powerless when it comes to stopping the roaming neighbourhoods.

And that angers the showpeople, who say they’re tarred with the same brush.

John, 41, revealed: “People tend to think that travellers are travellers and look at us all the same.

“Our fear is that they see the terrible state of this site and blame us for it.

“We come here, we put on the shows, we pay for our rubbish bags and keep the place clean.

“Yet now we’re having to clean up other people’s mess. None of us want to pick up human waste and don’t feel we should have to.”

Nearby garage businesses are also thought to be unhappy by the presence of the travellers so close to their premises.

And it’s believed the travellers may return to the privately owned land once the showpeople pack up in a fortnight.

MP Brian Donohoe has led the fight against travellers living above the law, and sees this as just another example.

He confessed: “I’m appalled and not at all surprised.

“It’s simply another example of complete anarchy among the travellers and I get extremely angry when I hear stories like this.

“Sooner or later they must be held to account for their actions.”

Graham Peterkin, depute chief executive of South Ayrshire Council, added: “The land on which the Codona’s Funfair will take place in Heathfield in Ayr is not owned by South Ayrshire Council. It is privately owned.

“The council will carry out necessary inspections of the area prior to deciding whether to issue any licence that the funfair operators will require to carry out their public entertainment.”