Surge in the number of illegal traveller camps

Travellers are setting up an "unprecedented" number of illegal camps in Walsall, forcing the council to launch eviction proceedings almost once a week, figures revealed today.

Enforcement officers responded to 45 reports of "unauthorised encampments" in just 12 months. The surge in numbers of traveller camps has prompted a draft council protocol on tackling travellers to be drawn up. Council officer Ron Beavon said: "Last year was unprecedented when it comes to this sort of activity.

"We need to ensure our response is proportionate and we believe our system is robust and efficient."

Family events were believed to be behind the increase in camps, he added.

The picture contrasts with elsewhere in the Midlands. In Wolverhampton there were 14 illegal camps, down from an average of 39 a year, while South Staffordshire Council responded to just one report.

Figures were unavailable for Cannock, Stafford, Sandwell or Dudley.

The Walsall protocol states that when a camp is set up on public land, the council must first carry out a welfare assessment to ensure none of the settlers have urgent medical needs.

An application to magistrates for an eviction notice will then follow, with a 24-hour deadline to leave.

For camps on private land, landowners can choose to tackle the problem themselves. Alternatively they can ask for council help, in which case the welfare assessment and application to magistrates court would follow. Under the protocol the authority will then "seek to recover costs where the council acts for landowners", officer John Beavon said. The proposal has sparked objections.

Councillor Anthony Harris said: "If they have got a welfare need they should have raised that at some other place at some other time, before they moved onto my land."

Mr Beavon said landowners who failed to carry out welfare assessments could be at risk of being sued.

If agreed the protocol is expected to be published on the council's website.