Litter left at Preston car park used by travellers

Beth Balshaw, a member of the Ashton and Riversway Pact, said a group of travellers had left behind trails of litter at the former Baffitos restaurant car park on Preston docks.

A video shared to the Ashton and Riversway Pact Facebook page shows the car park covered in litter and unwanted household furniture

Beth said: “The residents had been concerned about the level of crime and litter at the car park.”

Preston Council previously said they were unable to intervene because the site is privately owned.

Since the travellers left, groups of vehicles have been seen parking up in the car park, playing loud music and shining their headlights into resident’s windows at night.

The Ashton and Riversway community group are now campaigning for the car park to be securely locked in the evening, to deter anti-social behaviour.

“Since the travellers left, the car park has been really busy with visitors because the weather has been hot and people have been staying out later,” said Beth.

“I have seen a lot of complaints about the car park and its impact on the local people. We have been fighting for the car park to be securely locked over night and are still working on that campaign.

“It’s frustrating that nothing has been able to have been done before this.”

The Ashton and Riversway Pact hold meetings every month at the Ashton Bowling Club, on Egerton Road to discuss ways they can combat issues in the community.

It comes as figures show that half a dozen traveller caravans were pitched on unauthorised sites in Preston shortly before lockdown.

The number of families living by the roadside or on other unauthorised sites this summer will not be known, as the usual July count has been suspended because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Councillor Robert Boswell, Cabinet member for environment and community safety, said, “We understand the group at this site has moved on and we are liaising with the landowner about clearing the debris left behind.

“It’s disappointing that visitors to the Docks are not utilising the litterbins on site, including extra ones placed in recent weeks, and we would ask people to respect the environment and local residents when visiting the area.”

The Travellers’ Times, a national project which seeks to challenge discrimination, are urging the Government and local authorities to provide everyone in unauthorised encampments with water and sanitation facilities during the crisis.

It wants all evictions of these sites to be stopped and for local authorities to work with Travellers to agree on a temporary period for them to remain.

A spokeswoman said: “Many families are worried about how they can protect themselves and others and follow the public health guidance.

“It’s unacceptable that they are excluded from some local authorities’ planning and delivery of support for vulnerable groups.”

A report from human rights group Doctors of the World found UK Travellers, like all “excluded people”, are at greater risk of being exposed to the coronavirus and are struggling to access healthcare services.

It noted that Traveller workers have been heavily impacted by job losses, while children are missing out on education due to “digital exclusion”.

Lancashire Police have been contacted for a comment.