Opinion: 'Setting the record straight on Traveller camps', writes Supt Neil Billany

A lot of these articles have bold headlines calling for police action, so I want to set the record straight in terms of what police can, and can’t, do.

An unauthorised encampment is where people camp on land without the owner’s permission.

They are often associated with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and in Peterborough we see an increase in these camps during late spring and summer.

These encampments can cause various problems for landowners, the local authority and residents, such as damage to property, environmental issues, noise, litter, anti-social behaviour and crime.

However, they also reflect the lack of adequate and suitable accommodation for some communities.

One recent law change that has attracted attention is the new police power to deal with criminal trespass, which came into force in June last year (2022) under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

This power greatly increases eviction powers and can result in three months imprisonment, a fine of up to £2,500 and/or seizure of the vehicle/property if someone fails to leave or returns to the same place within a year.

Bringing this into practice, a roadside camp is not in itself illegal, and certain conditions need to be met before we can use the new powers.

The key condition is that significant damage, distress or disruption is caused, or is likely to be caused. The key word is ‘significant’ and in deciding what it means legally, we look to the guidance produced by the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) – the approach of Cambridgeshire Police is informed by national policy and direction.

Every unauthorised encampment in the city will be visited by police daily and has been where we have experienced several unauthorised encampments in recent weeks.

We will speak to the occupants and understand why they are there and how long they intend to remain. We also look at the wider area to see if any damage has been caused and review reported crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

We also consider those in the vicinity – a recent group in Werrington were using a school footpath to drive to and from their camp – totally unacceptable and as you would expect.

They were given immediate direction to leave under the new powers. If this same group returns to this same location in the next 12 months, we can then look at criminal prosecution.

The reality is that, with plenty of green space across Peterborough, the same group coming back to a slightly different location will mean we have to restart from scratch.

The real problem is two-fold. Firstly, some locations are far too easy to access, or preventative measures are easily bypassed. Secondly, there is a lack of suitable and lawful space for travellers to camp in, or near, Peterborough.

We understand the concern this matter causes members of our communities.

Along with utilising the new powers available to us, we continue to work closely with the local authority to look at longer term preventative measures and issues often left behind by these encampments, such as fly tipping.