Travellers set up camp on Wigan car park

Caravans could be seen parked up on the car park which is used by customers of McColls and other shops on Wigan Road in Bryn last night (Monday).

Bryn councillor Steve Jones said travellers turned up on the site last year and were there for around four weeks.

Coun Jones, who has received a number of reports from residents about the travellers, said that the car park is private land and the landowner would need to get an eviction order from the courts, a process which can take a while.

He said: "It took four weeks to move the travellers last time as the car park is private land and not council owned where they could be moved in 48 hours.

"The council can't do anything unless it becomes an environmental health problem but I've emailed them to see if they do have any power.

"The car park is at the back of the shops and side of McColls and is used by customers of all these shops.

"There are six caravans there and some cars.

"Last year some travellers were there for about four weeks and the landowner needs to get an eviction order from the courts and then the police can move them after that."

Coun Jones has renewed his calls for a barrier to be put up around the site in future to stop the travellers from entering.

He said: "The owner was supposed to have a barrier put up after this happened last time but has not.

"We do need a way to stop them so this doesn't happen again as last time the travellers caused a lot of problems especially to people living in a line of houses nearby."

Wigan Council and McColls have been approached for comment by Wigan Today.