Road to ruin

The travellers, now at Snipe Clough

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NEW laws to deal with Travellers are being sought after school playing fields in Royton were torn up when the latest encampment moved off.

The cost of restoring St Anne’s School fields in Royton will run into thousands of pounds. Children returning to school on Wednesday will be greeted by a sea of mud.

Travellers, who arrived on Tuesday, were given orders to leave by the police. But vehicles were bogged down in mud after heavy rain. A mechanical digger was used to get one of the caravans off the site.

The group is now camped on the road at the side of Snipe Clough playing fields.

Oldham councillor Mark Alcock said it could take five working days to get a court order to move them on.

He added: “The mud and silt means it now looks more like a battlefield.

“It’s going to be quite a task to re-instate the field.

“It is difficult to put an estimate on timescales and costs for the work at this stage, but we are certainly looking at thousands of pounds. Our parks department will next have the grim task of trying to level the site and restoring it for use by the school.

“That is the real tragedy of this situation — the loss of that facility and the disruption caused to local residents.”

“We need to lobby Government for extra powers, but we need to define what we actually want.

“If we can find out if they are dumping stones or rubbish, we need to find out if we can seize their vehicles.

“I want to speak to the rest of the councils in the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) because the Government is more likely to listen to 10 authorities, rather than one.”

Marian Read, wife of the St Anne’s vicar, Rev James Read, said: “I was told by a man from the council it would cost thousands of pounds to put the fields right and we have no idea when they will be playable.

“I saw the Travellers cutting the gates to the field with metal cutters on Tuesday. The gates were locked — now they are off their hinges.

“The police have been very good and had a presence here all night, they have done their best.”

In 2007, council clean-up costs soared to more than £50,000 after Travellers rolled up at three sites, including Snipe Clough playing fields which cost £40,000 to repair.

The fields are due to be used for the opening games of the Ashton Sunday League this weekend, when Shaw Rovers play Charlestown.

Police said they have additional patrols in the area and will ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.

Chief Insp Rob Tinsley said no disorder was reported in Royton.

He added: “Some of the Travellers have now moved to a separate location and work is continuing to ensure appropriate action is taken.”

Oldham Council leader, Councillor Howard Sykes, who is also deputy chairman of AGMA, is calling for a range of new powers.

He said: “Let us have a proper look at our existing powers. Are we using what we have, and what more do we need?”