Leicester student fears bill's threat to family's Gypsy lifestyle

Jem Leveridge said the new bill could see people living in roadside camps faced with prison, fines or losing their home

A Romany Gypsy student fears proposed government legislation could destroy her community's traditions.

Jem Leveridge, who studies in Leicester and lives on a site in Norfolk, said if passed the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 will threaten nomadic lifestyles.

The bill would give police new powers against people on land without consent.

The Home Office said it recognised people's right to follow a nomadic way of life.

'Conform or get out'

Miss Leveridge, a second year law student at De Montfort University, said: "The government and local councils are not building any Gypsy and traveller sites and now they are saying... you could have your wagon or trailer taken off you.

"That would leave someone homeless.

"It is like the government is saying 'get in a house and conform, or get out'.

"Our communities date back to the Anglo-Saxon times but we feel modern society just does not want us."

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The 20-year-old said she had faced abuse while living on a privately-owned site with her family.

"I have been called an animal and I feel so many people refuse to see our side of the story," she added.

Miss Leveridge said letting the traditional way of life die out would be an injustice to her family

The bill will be discussed again in the House of Commons on Monday.

Under current proposals, the bill would see trespass change from being a mainly civil to a criminal offence.

Those in breach of the law could face a fine, time in prison or their vehicles being confiscated.

Miss Leveridge said generations of her family had contributed to the UK and had fought in both world wars

Miss Leveridge is the first in her family to go to university and hopes to join the police.

"Generations of my family have paved the way for the life that I live now, and it will feel like an injustice to them and their memory if we allow our way of life to die out," she added.

The Home Office said the public wanted to see greater protection for communities and for the police to be given greater powers to prevent or remove encampments.

A spokeswoman said: "The vast majority of travellers are law-abiding, and we recognise their right to follow a nomadic way of life in line with their cultural heritage.

"Unauthorised encampments reflect badly on the law-abiding traveller community - they can cause misery to those who live nearby, with communities impacted by problems such as being unable to access or use their land, and excessive noise and littering.

"It's therefore right we are giving the police the powers they need to address this issue and the government will continue its work to provide more authorised sites for travellers to reside on."