Travellers leave Gipsy Hill park (From Streatham Guardian)

Travellers leave Gipsy Hill park

1:01pm Friday 17th August 2012 in News By Alice Foster, Reporter

Travellers who broke into a park and used it as a public toilet were moved on yesterday by police.

Officers went to Gipsy Hill, Crystal Palace, to negotiate with the group after they did not comply with a notice requesting them to leave by noon.

The travellers with caravans are believed to have come to Long Meadow from Streatham Common, which saw a group depart on Tuesday night.

Southwark Councillor Lewis Robinson said the travellers were disturbing residents living nearby.

Coun Robinson said: "The whole thing has completely escalated because they are using the whole area, they had a late night party and they are using it as a public toilet.

"My main gripe is with the inability of the council to secure this site."

But Coun Barrie Hargrove, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said the travellers had smashed the locks to enter.

He said: "While the council makes best efforts to prevent illegal occupation of parks, by their nature, parks are accessible places and if people choose to abuse this access we work with the police to deal with it as swiftly as we can.

"We have a number of protected, formal traveller sites in the borough that travellers can apply for, but that we cannot allow people to stay on green space or common land."