Travellers on Wicor Recreation Ground cost council £3,655 - with 12 tonnes of waste to clean up
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Residents reported at least 15 caravans and 11 other vehicles, including cars, vans and trucks, parked on the recreation ground on Thursday, August 6.
A series of complaints about anti-social behaviour – including men showering naked in the street and excrement smeared across the recreation ground – allowed police to use Section 61 powers to move on the encampment on the following Wednesday.
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Hide AdIn just seven days the encampment left behind 12 tonnes of waste – contributing to a £3,300 cost for Fareham Borough Council to deal with the issue.
A spokeswoman from the authority said: ‘This included staff and vehicle deployment, waste disposal costs and the replacement cost of two broken locks.’
The cost also included portaloos and bin bags provided to the site, with a further £355 spent on a court order application for the removal of the encampment.
Council leader Sean Woodward said council staff faced ‘the most appalling task’ cleaning the site – and called on the government to change the trespassing laws.
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Hide AdHe said: ‘It is regrettable that these people choose to behave in such a thoroughly disgusting fashion, which included spreading their excrement across our public open space.
‘The sooner the government changes the law to make trespass a criminal offence the better, as the law is currently an ass – trespass is a criminal offence in the Palace of Westminster but not here in Fareham.’
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