Travellers blast out Ed Sheeran songs and leave behind a HORSE while being evicted from school car park by bailiffs – before ‘driving into NEW site minutes later’
Older students were given a police escort through the delivery entrance while youngsters have been kept away
BRAZEN travellers booted out of a school car park after blocking children from lessons appear to have pitched up on another site just minutes later.
Around 20 caravans housing 60 adults as well as children, dogs and a horse took over Shenley Academy in Birmingham when the school was closed for half-term.
Children had to be given a police escort through the delivery entrance of the school while younger pupils were warned not to come in at all.
Bailiffs and police officers served them an eviction notice on Saturday demanding they leave within 24 hours.
But the group ignored orders forcing cops to attend the school, which has about 1,000 pupils, to warn students away during the stand-off.
The travellers have now moved off the site - reportedly hurling abuse at police and blasting out Ed Sheeran song 'Shape of You' as they went.
They also left behind a mountain of rubbish including empty gas canisters and smashed booze bottles all over the car park as they went.
The travellers also apparently left the horse on the school grounds, which was discovered at the bottom of the playground.
They appeared to park up on another site less than two miles away just minutes later.
It is believed the travellers were on the same residential site over a week ago before they were asked to move.
More than 100 fridges were found dumped on the site, prompting the council to install CCTV in the area, which is opposite two tower blocks.
Neighbourhood Inspector Steve Rice said: "It’s gone very well today. The travellers arrived at approximately midday on Friday and in less than 72 hours we’ve managed to remove them from the site."
As the last caravan left the site, West Midlands' elected Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, added: "Parents have every right to be upset and outraged at the disruption to their children's schooling.
"I welcome the tough action taken to evict the travellers.
"I recently held a summit, bringing the police and local councils from across the West Midlands around the table to respond to this ongoing issue.
"This disgraceful incident highlights why it is crucial for the summit's recommendations to be acted upon as soon as possible."
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Bizarrely, the travellers claimed they didn't know Shenley Academy was a school.
Charlotte Connors, 21, said: "Obviously we wouldn't have come here if we knew it was a school.
"We thought it was a leisure centre, that's why we're leaving now.
"But if there were more sites for us we wouldn't have to do this.
"There's no uproar about our kids not having a school. We keep getting moved from place to place."
Locals who claimed they had been attacked with catapults and dogs over the weekend cheered as the travellers pulled out of the academy's gates.
Sam Ward, 19, a former student at the school, said: "I've been here all weekend - I've got mates still at the school.
"I tried to go over and they started threatening me. There was a guy in his 40s with ginger hair who said he'd set his dog on me.
"It was a big German Shepherd - he let it off its lead and it chased us out of the school.
"When I came back later there was another man with a catapult. He was firing stuff at me.
"They've been going round telling everyone here they're going to rob them."
Birmingham City Council this morning invoked Common Law powers to serve an immediate eviction demand on the group.
Around 20 police officers were called after tensions flared this morning when bailiffs first tried removing them from the site.
Hundreds of younger pupils were told by chiefs to stay away from school for their own safety this morning.
Year 11 and Sixth Form students had to be escorted through a delivery entrance by police.
They were due to be kept indoors after the travellers moved in on Friday.
Police patrol cars and vans blocked off both ends of the road leading to the school's entrance as the council negotiated with the group.
One traveller said: “Tell the council to give us traveller sites and this wouldn’t happen. We’ve got nowhere to go.”
West Midlands Police seized a car from the site on Saturday for having no tax or insurance, and believe it may have been involved in a hit-and-run earlier that day.
Local police Sergeant Dave Cotter, said: "Their behaviour is totally unacceptable and has caused huge disruption for the school, teachers and pupils, plus parents who've been forced to make last minute care arrangements for children unable to come to school.
"The group ignored a notice to leave, which gave them 24 hours to move on, and in the end we were left with no option but to force them to leave the school grounds.
"Since they arrived on Friday we've conducted house to house patrols, listened to people's concerns and reassured them we would act swiftly. I hope the community can see that's exactly what we've done."
Around 800 pupils had to be kept off school, and half of Years 11, 12 and 13 chose to stay at home.
Headteacher Lucy Mink told parents: “I recognise that this situation is very detrimental to the education of our students, and it is certainly not a decision which has been taken lightly.
“I have been working with West Midlands Police through the weekend as the situation has unfolded.
“I hope to be able to return the whole academy to a normal operation as quickly as possible this week.”
Sir Lenny Henry visited the academy, which was rated good in its last Ofsted report, as part of a theatre workshop in November last year.
Students have been told they would not be allowed outside the school building for PE and break times.
Children not at school today have been asked to do their work at home.
Councillor Des Flood (Cons, Bartley Green) had called for immediate action to remove the travellers in time for lessons on the first day back.
He said: “It is a disgrace that children will have their education affected due to the city council dragging its feet in evicting these travellers.
“Not all pupils will be allowed in school - the school and police are trying their best in these challenging circumstances.”
Cllr John Lines (Cons, Bartley Green) added: “That is the worst yet.
“They have ruined our parks and now they are invading our schools and not for education.
“I’m horrified by this – and it’s because we have been too soft with travellers.”
Furious parents and locals have slammed the travellers after they arrived at midday on Friday.
Rosina Jane, 62, said: “I watched them arrive in convoys. I knew what was happening and I just could not believe it. I thought 'no, no, no’.
“The noise is unreal. You can just hear them all the time. They have been scouting the area with torches and it’s really scary.
“You’ve got to keep an eye out all the time as they are just opportunists."
One parent said: “I’m glad they are keeping the children off. It looks pretty intimidating down there.”
Another mum, who has an 11-year-old daughter at the school, said: "The school could have blocked off the entrance where the travellers are and let pupils in via the other entrance.
"The travellers haven't bothered us so much, the problem is my daughter is being kept off school.
"They've been given work to do but they're not actually in school so it's not the same."
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