Armed police rush to travellers site in Ayr

Apr 10 2009 by Stuart Wilson

A CAMPSITE row ended with armed police dashing to the scene.

Terrified travellers claimed they’d been threatened with guns on their pitch next to a supermarket.

Armed cops were scrambled to the field behind Ayr’s Asda on Sunday as a feud turned nasty.

It’s believed the travellers had been followed to their latest camp by a group from Bathgate, before threats were made.

A police spokesman said: “Strathclyde Police firearms unit and helicopter attended at the campsite, following a call from travellers.

“An allegation was made that people were coming to the campsite with guns and making threats.

“Following discussions with members of the campsite, it was advised that they pack up and continue their journey south.”

The campsite, on private land owned by Dawn Construction, is already a huge source of controversy.

Travellers have turned the site into a human rubbish tip, littered with excrement, dirty nappies and gas canisters.

Nearby residents claim they’ve complained to the council – only to be told the site wasn’t a health hazard.

Gordon Steven, 51, laughed: “If this isn’t a health hazard, then I don’t know what is.

“The place is absolutely filthy and it’s only going to get worse.

“The problem is way out of control and it seems like nobody can do anything.”

Laws are limited when it comes to restricting the travelling community and their movements are relatively free.

But residents like Mr Steven say the line has to be drawn when piles of rubbish are left behind, with no clean-up operation in sight.

He insisted: “I don’t have a problem with travelling people in general – but they have to take their waste with them.

“The council keep saying they can’t do anything because it’s private land, but surely they can step in when it’s a health risk.

“But they don’t seem to think it’s that bad – which is laughable.”

However, it’s believed South Ayrshire Council have already cleaned the site once – at a cost of nearly £5000.

A council spokesman said: “Officers of the council have been monitoring the situation and have arranged for the area of private land in question to be cleaned up and the landowner will be billed for the cost.

“The majority of waste material throughout the site was essentially inert and its main impact was of blight on the landscape.

“However, there was one accumulation of waste that may have constituted a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and could have been subject to enforcement action.”