Kettering travellers served with eviction notice

The group of about a dozen vehicles set up in Northampton Road playing fields yesterday (Saturday) - managing to do so despite a large number of boulders that were placed around the perimeter of the site last year in an attempt to stop illegal encampments.

This evening (Sunday, February 17) police confirmed that they had handed the group a section 61 notice ordering them to leave.

However, it seems the group has since moved to the Meadow Road park, another area that has been persistently occupied by travellers.

A police statement said: “An incident of an unauthorised traveller encampment has been reported in the last 24 hours on Northampton Road Kettering. The occupiers have now been served with a section 61 notice to leave by police.“If there are incidents of anti-social behaviour, threats, damage or violence, please do not hesitate to call 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.”

There are several legal routes open to landlowners who wish to remove illegal encampments. A section 61 notice allows a senior police officer who believes two or more people are trespassing on land and are planning on staying there for a period to tell them to leave.

The Northants Telegraph revealed last year that the number of illegal traveller encampments in the county had risen by 75 per cent.