TRAVELLERS given an extra day to leave Cleethorpes of their own accord or be removed by officials have finally moved on – to New Waltham.
The small fleet of vehicles and caravans set up camp on the old Lindsey Upper School off Taylor's Avenue at the weekend and are believed to have broken the gate that gives access to the land.
On Monday morning, North East Lincolnshire Council officers moved in first thing to tell them to leave and began seeking the court's permission to remove them if necessary.
They were handed 48-hour eviction notices and on Wednesday – when the time had passed – Grimsby Magistrates' Court granted permission for the group to be removed "immediately".
However, officers gave them until noon yesterday to leave and the travellers promised to do so – and they were true to their word.
The Grimsby Telegraph then received reports yesterday morning that they had set up shop in a privately-owned field on Peaks Top Farm, off Hewitt's Avenue – barely a five-minute drive away.
Although it is no longer the responsibility of the authority, it has confirmed it will help the landowner remove the travellers using the same legal process.
Councillor Chris Shaw (Lab, Sidney Sussex), the leader of NELC, said: "The small group of travellers had left the council-owned land off yesterday morning after being served with a court order.
"They have since moved to privately-owned land at the junction of Peaks Parkway and Hewitt's Avenue.
"The council is assisting the landowner and has offered to serve a direction for the travellers to leave the site by Monday."
The Grimsby Telegraph asked the group how long they planned to stay, but one man, who would not be named, said he did not know how long – or where they would move to.
He said: "We are travellers so we travel around – that's what we do."
When asked what he thought of the council's efforts to remove them, he said: "I'm not bothered about all that."
However, one resident, who also did not want to be named, said she was upset by the amount of resources NELC has had to use to remove the group.
She said: "It's not fair that the people of Grimsby and Cleethorpes have to keep paying for these travellers to be moved on."
Councillor John Fenty (Con, Humberston and New Waltham) said he was aware that the group had relocated and was glad that the council are still involved.
He added: "It's absolutely right that the council should move heaven and earth to help anyone with a problem of this nature and make sure these people are sited in the appropriate location."
