Travellers in Werrington have been given day to move on by Peterborough City Council

Peterborough City Council is ordering Travellers to leave a site in Werrington, after an encampment moved on to land just off Lincoln Road.

The local authority is issuing a Section 77 notice on 1 June, which will expire at midday on 2 June.

Section 77 of the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994 Act gives local authorities the power to direct individuals living in vehicles on highway land, unoccupied land, occupied land without the consent of the owner to leave and remove vehicles and other property.

It means the encampment will need to move on within 24 hours.

Should they fail to do so, the local authority can then look to apply to the courts to evict the encampment.

Cambridgeshire Police told the Peterborough Telegraph: “We are attending daily to assess and review the situation, at present the threshold for invoking police powers has not been met at this stage.”

Writing for this newspaper, Superintendent Neil Billany, area commander for Peterborough and Fenland, has said the problem of unauthorised Traveller encampments in Peterborough, at large, 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.”

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in Peterborough often increase during late spring and summer, Supt Billany added.

For police to be able to use new powers under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which came into force last year, they need to be able to evidence significant damage, distress or disruption is caused, or is likely to be caused.

Supt Billany said: “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.”

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