Public meeting discusses East Leeds travellers

More than 100 people attended a public meeting in Garforth to discuss ongoing problems with travellers in the area. The meeting took place in East Garforth Primary School to discuss the travellers, who have been setting up camp in different parts of the ward for more than a month. Residents listened to local ward councillors, the police and Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke and expressed frustration about the ongoing situation. Over the past month travellers have set uo camp on three sites in the Garforth and Swillington Ward at a cost to local tax payers in terms of obtaining court warrants and clean ups. Calls for collaborative working Garforth Labour councillor Mark Dobson said there had to be much greater collaborative working between the local council, the police and the courts. He also called for a toughening up of the law, which would give councils more power to remove travellers from their property without recourse to the courts. He called upon MP Shelbrooke to facilitate a meeting with the Home Office for himself, the MP and a deputation of residents to lobby the government for a toughening up of the law. Dobson said: "I believe as well as securing our sites and making them less attractive to travellers, we must now press hard for a change in the law that will give councils the teeth to swiftly remove trespassers from council premises. "That said, I firmly believe the council must give serious consideration to providing alternative sites to simply keep seeking court orders and carrying out clean ups is financially unsustainable and merely offers short term solutions to long term problems." Labour councillor Tom Murray said that the council also had much more to do. Murray added: "As well as changes to the law the council must seek viable alternative provision that does not impact on residents." What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.