UK Edition
Police to get new powers to evict travellers from private land, Sajid Javid announces
Police are to get tough new powers to crackdown on illegal traveller sites on private land including a potential new criminal offence of trespass.
Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, will today unveil a series of new legal measures to make it easier for police officers to intervene and remove travellers from private land.
He will also announce he is considering making it a criminal offence for travellers to trespass on private land when setting up an encampment.
At present, it is a civil issue, requiring landowners to spend thousands of pounds seeking a court injunction if they want to remove them, while, in some cases, causing significant disturbance to neighbouring residents.
Mr Javid said: “There is a widespread perception that the law does not apply to travellers and that is deeply troubling.
“The results of our initial consultation was clear - people want to see greater protection for local communities and for the police to be given greater power to crack down on trespassers.
“The vast majority of travellers are law-abiding citizens - but Illegal sites often give an unfair, negative image of their community and cause distress and misery to those who live nearby.
It follows calls by more than 60 Tory MPs - nearly a third of the backbench Tory party - for “acts of deliberate trespass to be made a criminal offence” in the same way squatting in residential buildings was criminalised in 2012.
Government counts show there are up to 1,600 unauthorised traveller encampments each summer in England and Wales.
Under the proposed changes to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, police would be able to act against an illegal camp if there were just two vehicles on it, rather than the current six.
Travellers will also not be allowed to return to a site from which they have removed for at least a year, an increase from three months. Those who breach the Act would face up to three months in jail and fines of up to £2,000.
Police will also be allowed to remove trespassers from camping on or beside a road and get powers to direct travellers to official sites in neighbouring authorities. At present, they can only direct trespassers to sites in the same area.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will announce a package of practical and financial support for local authorities to handle illegal camps.
The civil sanctions for fly tipping, which leaves farmers having to pay tens of thousands to clear up dumped rubbish, and squatting in commercial premises will remain unaffected by the changes.
The proposal to criminalise trespass was first mooted by the Tories in the party’s 2010 general election manifesto.
Since 2010, the number of traveller caravans on authorised sites has increased. However figures show approximately 16% of all caravans – around 3,700 – are on unauthorised sites.
The MPs calling for reform included former Cabinet ministers John Whittingdale, Sir Michael Fallon, Priti Patel and Alok Sharma.
Mr Sharma, who ordered the original consultation on the law, said: “My view is clear – the law needs strengthening and trespass needs to be made a criminal offence.
“This is the case in the Republic of Ireland and we need this change here. It will deter illegal encampments as the individuals concerned will understand they will face criminal law sanctions, rather than civil ones, right from the start.”