A major clean-up at Weelsby Woods has cost North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC) more than £3,000 following the departure of a group of travellers.
Several dozen caravans arrived at the site late last month, forcing entry by damaging a wooden fence. They vacated the area on Thursday 5 June, after NELC pursued legal action to have them removed.
The group left behind several tonnes of waste, including human waste, garden furniture, oil-covered items, and large amounts of litter. The clean-up, led by NELC and supported by the Friends of Weelsby Woods community group, cost the council £3,600, as revealed during a recent Q&A session.
Discussing the matter, Councillor Ron Shepherd, portfolio holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, explained that this was the first time the authority had encountered three groups in the borough at once. He said the group at Weelsby Woods had “scattered nails all over the car park,” adding: “they were a thoroughly horrible lot to deal with this particular time.”
Despite previous efforts by North East Lincolnshire Council to prevent access – such as installing metal barriers along pathways – travellers managed to gain entry by cutting down a fence, which was reported to the police as criminal damage. Councillor Shepherd said: “sadly, we’re unable to evidence that. If we could evidence it, then the police would take some action.”
“On council land, I want to reassure you that we need to be tougher, we need to grow, we need to be stronger and deal with these people as they deal with us,” he added.
Councillor Shepherd is due to meet with police next week to discuss the issue.
During the Q&A session, the authority also committed to a “full review” of traveller activity in the area, including an examination of how the situation was handled and what measures can be taken to better protect sites such as Weelsby Woods from repeated incidents in the future.
(Images: Friends of Weelsby Woods)
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2020.