'There has to be a way for us to co-exist' with travellers
Mr Robertson said discarded wood chippings, flagstones and pipes could be seen on Roundhay Park after the travellers left last month."It is fly-tipping at the end of the day," said Mr Robertson."I just think we need to work out a way to co-exist together so that everyone is happy."A number of incidents of anti-social behaviour, including vandalism to allotments, had been reported while travellers were staying at the park in recent months and years.Plot holder Katherine Gilboy said her father had been "pelted with rocks" by children from the camp in March."When challenged, they ran out through a hole that they made in the fence and then just continued to keep coming back and throwing rocks at various people at the allotments," she said.Ms Gilboy also complained of people defecating in the plots.She said: "It is obviously incredibly traumatic and unhygienic, especially where people are trying to grow their own fruit and vegetables."It got to the point where a number of people don't feel safe being on their allotments and have had to leave."West Yorkshire Police said it had increased patrols in the area while the travellers were present and had monitored behaviour at the camp.A spokesperson for North Leeds Cricket Club said they lost "thousands a year" due to vandalism and cancelled events because of travellers, describing the impact in recent years as "hell"."The worst year was over £10,000," they said."We have gone past the point of being angry or upset. It's something we have just become accustomed to now."
Local authorities have legal powers to evict unauthorised campers from land they own, and the police can act if there is disturbance, disruption and anti-social behaviour.Labour's Hamilton, who represents the Leeds North East constituency, said he wanted "legislation that allows orders granted instantly, so that removal can take place within hours, if not a day or two, rather than days and weeks".Roundhay resident Tony Quinn said that quicker removal would only "speed up the merry-go-round" of eviction and push the groups to other areas."If the decision is taken to evict people who have unauthorised access on Roundhay Park they will just end up at Fearnville or Thorner or Temple Newsam," he said."They would just be on a faster roundabout."
The 69-year-old has been a member of the Friends of Roundhay Park for 30 years and said he felt "quite strongly" about keeping the park in good condition.He said to see it "being used as a garbage tip" was distressing.Following Hamilton's comments, Leeds City Council said it "considers the potential for negotiated stopping for all unauthorised traveller encampments within the Leeds boundary".Negotiated stopping is an agreement pioneered by the charity Leeds GATE (Gypsy and Traveller Exchange).The policy works when an encampment agrees to work with the local authority, allowing them to stay on the land no longer than 28 days.Travellers pledge to leave the site clean, using toilets and skips provided for them.
Since travellers left Roundhay Park, the council has placed boulders at entry points to the green space to block vehicular access, though a number of caravans were seen on the park again on Saturday.Nita Mistry told the BBC a wider West Yorkshire strategy was needed to allocate suitable spaces for travellers to camp. The 58-year-old, who lives nearby and walks her dog regularly on Roundhay Park, said: "There must be green spaces that are suitable."Then you give them a set time to be there in which case they move on to another allocated green space so it is controlled."I think pushing them too quickly without anywhere to go just creates another problem elsewhere."Nomadism is not illegal in the UK but travellers can only park on authorised sites which can be either council-owned or privately-owned under a licence.Unauthorised encampments can be considered a breach of civil law.
Ms Mistry believes travelling communities should be able to move from place to place "with ground rules"."I think we've all got different ways of life, I come from an ethnic minority group and we live in a way that is harmonious with the rules and the laws of this country."We have all got to share these spaces and you need some rules around how we share those spaces so we can all live harmoniously."Ian Longford, who walks on Roundhay Park during his lunchbreak, said travellers should have the right to pull up on public land as "there is plenty of room"."I do not mind them stopping here, as long as they are not bothering other people or just leaving a mess behind really."I do not think you will gain any benefit from forcing them to conform to what everyone else does."
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The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
Storm Floris to cause disruption into Tuesday in Scotland, Network Rail says
Disruption to the rail network in Scotland from Storm Floris is likely to continue into Tuesday, passengers have been warned. Network Rail said it is working 'tirelessly' to clear routes blocked by falling trees and debris. However, some checks will need to be carried out on Tuesday morning. Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland's route director, said: 'Storm Floris has caused significant disruption to Scotland's railway, with wind speeds of up to 90mph, unprecedented for a summer storm. 'Our teams have been working tirelessly to keep services moving where possible and to clear fallen trees and debris from the tracks. 'As the storm passes later this evening, our focus switches to inspecting routes which have been closed by fallen trees, debris and other damage. 'Our teams will work through the night, but this work will continue into Tuesday morning. 'We'll use two helicopters to assist engineers on the ground. We're grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we do this.' Rail, road and ferry travel have been disrupted and festival events cancelled as Storm Floris sweeps across Scotland, bringing with it heavy rain and gusts in excess of 100mph. Disruption on the railways has left passengers facing multiple cancellations, while a number of roads around the country have been blocked. Western coastal areas are bearing the brunt of the summer storm but strong winds and heavy rain are affecting much of the rest of the country. An amber weather warning is in place in an area stretching from the central belt to the north coast until 11pm, with the Met Office saying injuries and danger to life are expected from large waves hitting seafronts, coastal roads and properties. The rest of the country is covered by a yellow weather warning until 11.59pm on Monday. Police said they had received 'multiple reports' of campervans being blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree on Skye, while in Aberdeenshire the A96 is closed in both directions near Old Rayne because of several fallen trees. Fallen trees have also seen a number of other roads closed, including the A95 Rosarie road in both directions and the A96 in a number of locations, while the A9 at Daviot is partially blocked by a fallen tree. High winds have also led to the closure of the A9 Dornoch Bridge in both directions, and the A1 Tyne Bridge is only open to cars and single-decker buses. Those driving in poor weather have been urged to avoid the worst-hit areas and slow down when on the roads while allowing time for delays. The storm has also had a 'severe impact' on railways, with a number of services being pre-emptively cancelled and speed limits in place on all routes. Edinburgh to Fife/Perth/Dundee; Perth to Dundee/Aberdeen/Inverness and the West Highland Line are among the routes that were closed at noon on Monday. Network Rail has reported a number of storm-related incidents, including trees falling on to overhead lines at King's Park in Glasgow, Cornton near Stirling and near Paisley, and damage to overhead wires in the Hamilton Circle area. LNER has warned passengers not to travel north of Newcastle while Avanti West Coast has advised passengers not to travel north of Preston, as it warned it will be 'heavily impacted' by the weather. Meanwhile, ScotRail has urged people to secure all outdoor equipment such as trampolines. Posting on social media, the rail operator said: 'We're asking anyone with garden equipment, such as tents, trampolines or furniture, to secure items so that they don't blow onto the tracks and interfere with lineside equipment.' The Kusz family are among those contending with delays and cancellations on the railway, as they attempt to return home to Blackpool with 11 pieces of luggage following a family holiday in Ayr. They are currently at Glasgow Central station where they said there had been 'about nine cancellations'. Paul Audoire, 59, told the PA news agency: 'The weather is not as bad as we thought, they are just taking precautions. 'We need to get off at Carlisle, wait for another train, get off at Preston and change trains again. 'I don't know how long we need to wait at Carlisle or at Preston. It's just a case of leapfrogging all the way.' Ferries have also seen widespread disruption, with ferry operator CalMac cancelling a number of sailings on Monday as a result of high winds. Festivals in the Edinburgh area have also been disrupted, with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a ceilidh event on Princes Street Gardens and the Fringe by the Sea in North Berwick all cancelled on Monday as a result of the expected high winds. Earlier, Scottish Government ministers said it was 'imperative' that people follow advice as Storm Floris hit the country. In a post on X, First Minister John Swinney appealed to the public to 'please stay safe', adding that weather conditions would be 'very difficult' on Monday with disruption to some services. Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland news programme, Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: 'Storm Floris is well and truly with us today and it's imperative that people follow advice because there will be significant disruption on our travel network.' Ms Constance said the Government's resilience room had been activated to give authorities a clear picture of the situation around the country. The minister added: 'If you have an elderly relative or neighbour who may be a wee bit vulnerable, please be a good neighbour, be friendly, just check they're alright.' She said anyone who has to travel is likely to face disruption and should plan ahead, adding: 'Consider this a winter journey as opposed to a summer journey. 'Please make sure you've got warm clothes, food, water, plenty of fuel and that your mobile phone is charged up.' A yellow warning for other parts of Scotland is in place from 6am until midnight. Forecasters have warned people who are outdoors to avoid walking or seeking shelter near buildings or trees, and said that loose items including bins and garden furniture could blow away unless secured. The Met Office said there was the potential for power cuts in some areas as well as disruption to mobile phone coverage. Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August. January's Storm Eowyn was the most recent.
BBC News
13 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Totally torn apart' - how Morecambe decline threatens a whole community
In its post-war heyday, the town of Morecambe was one of the UK's foremost seaside holiday destinations, with a thriving local economy and prestigious the decline of the domestic tourism industry which underpinned Morecambe's boon, its 105-year-old football club has filled the gap - providing jobs, powering local businesses, and offering a sense of community, identity, and now, Morecambe FC faces the imminent prospect of shutting down due to a deepening financial crisis, with owner Jason Whittingham's failure to sell the club leading to suspension from the National proud local people, the impact is enormous."It's absolutely horrible", says Alison Williamson, a Morecambe resident who began supporting the club in 1974. "The football club gives so much to the town. It's just so sad that Whittingham is down in Essex and allowed to take it all away from us."It's kind of a grieving process. It's like losing a member of your family that has always been there. Even if you don't see them all the time, when they're not there anymore, you suffer and you feel the loss."The club's players were sent home a week ago and are unable to train because of a lack of insurance cover. The academy has now also stopped functioning,For some, the slow, painful deterioration of their football club threatens the cohesion of the community and mimics the previous era's erosion of the local economy. "Morecambe used to be fantastic in its heyday," says Les Dewhirst, the club's kit man for the past 30 years. "It had everything from small zoos to fairgrounds to theatres and piers. We've not got much of that now, but it's still a cracking place and football is such a big part of it."I met my wife at the football. We were second-timers and our kids have grown up coming to this ground together. Strangers stop me in the street and say 'hiya Les' and it feels good."I don't know all the names of the people who come here, but I know all the faces. We all come here for the same reason - because we care."That level of care means supporters, led by fans group The Shrimps' Trust, have been protesting against Whittingham's ownership of the club and demanding he sell up for deals have been agreed in the past but nothing has come to fruition and fans face the prospect of having no club to support in the upcoming season."This place is half of my life", says Kate Barker, a fan and former chief steward for 20 years who was subsequently made honorary life vice-president. "All my good friends are here. It's a cliche, but we are a family and we look after each other."We always look forward to seeing each other on a Tuesday and a Saturday, and going to see a match. We might win, lose, or draw - the result doesn't really matter. We've never let football get in the way of a good day out." "We'll still gather together and talk about the old times, what we've done and where we've been. But we should still be able to do it here, every week," adds Barker."Inside I'm being absolutely torn apart."Where once on the town's seafront there were multiple fairgrounds, theatres, piers and miniature zoos, there are now a smattering of bars and restaurants, many of which are funded by matchday income and travelling away club's peril means local businesses are now at risk."The winter months are the hardest here, because it's the seaside," says Chris Donaldson, owner the The Royal Hotel on the seafront. "The football season sees us through that."I've got 19 bedrooms here and away fans are coming from all over fully booking them weeks in advance. The whole town can be full."It'll cost us tens of thousands, easily. It's crazy what it'll do to the town to lose that kind of money. Everyone will feel the effect of it."For staff at the fans' matchday pub, the difference in demeanour is already stark."We get around 400, 500 people on a matchday," says Michael Woolworth, manager of the Hurley Flyer opposite the stadium. "It feels like everyone in Morecambe is in here."It's a ritual every weekend. In here we see that football really brings people together. "But in the last few months we've seen the happiness taken away from them. We have regulars who have come in visibly upset."Morecambe FC has been one of the area's biggest employers in recent times. But the club's financial issues mean that salaries paid to staff and players have been delayed or not paid at all in some months. Dewhirst was last paid in May."I'm eating into my savings now," he says. "Some people aren't lucky enough to have savings - some are going to food banks because they can't afford to buy their shopping."It's been hard watching players leave. There was another one gone yesterday. I've known lots of them for years."I feel broken. Numbness has set in." The club offers far more than football to local residents. Its facilities host a variety of events, fun days and fundraisers for the community and causes close to people's hearts."The club does major work in the community, including sessions here for the elderly people and sessions in care homes," says former co-chairman Rod Taylor, who has removed from the board earlier this summer in a video call hastily arranged by Whittingham."We've got a pre- and post-cancer group that meet regularly, we go into schools to deliver sessions. You can't put a price on that. A high percentage of the population of this town is touched by more than football in some way."That idea of connection across the community, and across generations, is something which typifies the essence of Morecambe's supporter base."Football is that release from normality," Taylor says. "It's a generational thing. My granddad took me to our old stadium Christie Park when I was about five or six years of age. It stays with you. It's ingrained. It's in your DNA."I feel Whittingham probably has to raise more money to settle some of his some of his personal debts. I think he's trying to squeeze more money."The BBC has repeatedly attempted to contact Whittingham, but received no response. Chair of The Shrimps' Trust, Pat Stoyles, has dedicated swathes of his spare time to trying to protect the club's status and long-term future in recent years."The lack of communication from Jason Whittingham has been the biggest problem," he says. "The turmoil has been going on for weeks and weeks on end."The start of the EFL season last weekend was difficult. Normally we'd be glued to that sort of thing, but seeing live football again shows to people what we're going to be missing."The social part of football is the biggest part. What goes on the pitch - that's fine. It's about the people you travel with, you drink with, you stand with, the community that you feel apart of. For a lot of people, losing that is going to have a big impact on their whole wellbeing, their mental health."Some people are already asking if, should the worst come to the worst, we can still go to places together."The National League will meet again on 20 August and, unless convinced Morecambe have the financial means to complete the season, will formally expel them from the fans, staff, and players wait anxiously to see if Whittingham will finally sell the club before it is too late.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Roads and railways shut by Storm Floris as high winds batter UK
Storm Floris has brought travel disruption to northern parts of the UK, with roads and railway lines blocked by fallen trees amid high winds. Gusts of about 85mph are expected in exposed parts of the country as the storm moves northward throughout Monday. In Scotland, police have warned drivers to stay away from two roads in Aberdeenshire and the Western Highlands – which were blocked by fallen trees and overturned campervans respectively. Bridges such as the A9 Dornoch Bridge, Highlands, and the A1 Tyne Bridge in East Lothian were also closed due to high winds. A number of rail lines in Scotland were blocked by fallen trees, including one near Cornton in Stirling which landed on overhead wires. Crews were also called out to cut back fallen trees from the line near Giffnock, East Renfrewshire. A yellow warning for wind for northern parts of the UK became active at 6am on Monday, lasting until 6am on Tuesday. Central and northern Scotland are covered by a more serious amber warning from 10am to 10pm on Monday. A number of train services were halted at midday and ferry sailings have been cancelled. Train operator LNER has told passengers not to travel north of Newcastle while Avanti West Coast has advised passengers not to travel north of Preston, warning it will be 'heavily impacted' by the weather. On Monday afternoon, a number of roads were blocked by the storm, including: the A96 in Aberdeenshire, the A87 and the A82 in the western Highlands. The west of Scotland saw heavy rain early on Monday morning, with winds picking up later in the day. Western coastal areas are expected to bear the brunt of the storm. Storm Floris has also impacted Edinburgh's busy festival period, with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo cancelling its Monday performance. A Scottish Government minister said it is 'imperative' that people follow advice as Storm Floris hits the country. Justice Secretary Angela Constance told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland news programme: 'Storm Floris is well and truly with us today and it's imperative that people follow advice because there will be significant disruption on our travel network.' She said anyone who has to travel is likely to face disruption and should plan ahead, adding: 'Consider this a winter journey as opposed to a summer journey. 'Please make sure you've got warm clothes, food, water, plenty of fuel and that your mobile phone is charged up.' Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said: 'Across the warning area, many inland areas are likely to see gusts of 40-50mph, with 60-70mph more likely at higher elevations and around exposed coasts in Scotland. 'There is a small chance that some locations here could even record gusts of 85mph.' The strongest winds will most likely affect Scotland on Monday afternoon and night but 'there remains some uncertainty in the depth and track of Floris', a spokesperson added. 'Winds will first ease in the west later during Monday but remaining very strong overnight until early Tuesday in the east. 'Heavy rain may also contribute to the disruption in places.' The warning zone covers Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and the north of England. Storm Floris is the sixth named storm of the 2024-25 naming season, which runs from early September to late August. January's Storm Eowyn was the most recent.
