Pineham Lock: Travellers leave ahead of eviction but waste remains

Industrial waste has been dumped at the Pineham Lock site

Waste including gas cylinders and fridges has been dumped after a group of travellers left an unauthorised encampment.

The travellers moved on from Pineham Locks in Northampton on Thursday after being served with a notice to leave.

Councillor for the area, Pinder Chauhan, said the impact of "dumping loads of waste" would be huge.

The Gypsy Council said councils have to stop the "pointless exercise of forced movement to hide their failures".

Northamptonshire County Council's Mrs Chauhan said the travellers had been causing problems at Pineham Locks for two months.

Residents had complained of stone throwing, fly-tipping and threatening behaviour.

Earlier this week, a community protection notice served on the group by Northampton Borough Council expired.

An application for an eviction notice was granted on Thursday.

Northamptonshire County Council councillor Pinder Chauhan, pictured with local policing area commander Supt Kevin Mulligan, said anti-social behaviour at Pineham Locks had included threats with knives, stone throwing and the burning of waste

Mrs Chauhan said: "They left themselves. It was a surprise up and leave.

"I'm really glad people will be able to sleep and feel safe now. They had been terrorised."

However, she added: "The environmental impact is going to be huge.

"The water causeways are full of industrial waste - gas cylinders, fridges, mattresses, rubble. You name it, it's there."

Supt Ash Tuckley, from Northamptonshire Police, confirmed the travellers left the site "after further negotiations".

He said enforcement action had been due to take place on Friday.

Pinder Chauhan said the environmental clean-up at Pineham Locks would be "huge"

Borough council member for planning, James Hill, said he was pleased "a complex issue" had been concluded.

Director of the Gypsy Council, Joseph P Jones, said: "Councils have to stop this idiotic and pointless exercise of forced movement to hide their failures.

"They must take their heads out the sand and provide legal stopping places."

Mrs Chuahan said it was "really important to stress this was an individual group of travellers, not the traveller community in general".