Traveller threatens Telegraph workers

A TRAVELLER threatened Telegraph staff with violence when they took photos and spoke to them at their latest site in Laceby, yesterday.

A group of seven vehicles has set up shop off Butt's Lane, after reportedly leaving the area at the weekend.

After readers told the Telegraph they had arrived, a reporter and photographer drove to the field, took a picture of the site, and went onto the field to talk to the group.

They were met by two bare-chested men, one of whom asked: "did you get a good photo?"

The traveller then said: "Why are you taking pictures of us every day? We don't like it."

After the reporter explained it was because they were on the land illegally, the man got more heated.

He then said: "I'll smash that f***ing camera over your head if you come here again."

Luckily, by chance, Humberside Police arrived at the very moment the threat was made.

The traveller asked the police to tell The Telegraph not to take photos, but the officer refused, explaining that they were on the land illegally.

The man then repeated the threat to the two officers, adding, "if they come here again, I'll put a fu**ing brick through the window."

One officer replied: "Well if you do that, you'll get locked up."

The traveller said: "I don't care about that."

Some of the people in the group were among the first to come to the area when they broke their way onto the former Lindsey School field off Taylor's Avenue, Cleethorpes.

Another caravan – and a van – has settled on farmland next to Morrisons, owned by M F Strawson Ltd.

Staff were sent to the field on Monday to make sure the gate was secure and yesterday morning, a large boulder had been placed in front of the gate.

The other Laceby site has no gate and it is believed to be owned by the church.

North East Lincolnshire Council has spent weeks evicting travellers from land through the courts, but is not involved in the current situation as the land is privately owned