Travellers invade beauty spot with 30 caravans and ‘use their dogs to scare off council trying to evict them’
Council cannot access site without protection from local police
TRAVELLERS are setting their dogs on council officers after being told to leave a popular beauty spot, it has been claimed.
The group of more than 30 caravans angered local residents after suddenly turning up at Barr Beacon nature reserve in Great Barr, Birmingham, on Sunday night.
The travellers were served with an order to leave but have refused to budge.
The news comes after more than 100 travellers turned up at the same memorial two weeks ago - the third time this had happened in two years.
Local councillor Chris Towe said: “Progress to evict the travellers is ongoing but they are being difficult.
“Every time the officers go down to tell them to leave they are letting their dogs off in what appears to be a threatening way.
"It is proving difficult for officers to go out to them without the police and sometimes it is not always possible to get officers."
Fellow councillor Adrian Andrew added: “We expect them to be gone by tomorrow.
“It is the same every time. A section 77 order and then a section 78 order has been served on them, telling them to leave.
“We hope they leave as soon as possible and that the site is left in as good a state as possible but we doubt it.
"We don’t know where they will go after they move but we are sure it will be local.”
Walsall Council said: “Our community protection team will continue to follow the agreed council-West Midlands Police joint protocol to secure the land back as soon as possible.”
Yesterday another group of travellers pitched up in a Tesco car park near Windsor Castle.
While last month, residents in Bristol took defensive action against a different group, using their cars to block the travellers from setting up camp.
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