VIDEO: Travellers take up residence at Hatton Park

A GROUP of travellers with caravans, trucks and cars moved onto land at the Old Cemetery, Hatton Park on Monday evening.

The encampment has been filmed by a member of the public earlier today.

Officers from Warwick District Council are understood to have served an enforcement notice this morning, Tuesday.

The council is working with police on this matter and will review security measures once the situation is satisfactorily resolved.

A £174,000 pot of cash has been awarded to beef up security at sites where travellers have been illegally setting up camps.

Taxpayers’ money has been set aside as it has been revealed that the number of such camps has been steadily rising over the past few years on council-owned land across the county.

The sites include the Hatton Park estate where there have been new gates, height restriction barriers, bollards and even the planting of new trees to keep travellers out.

A statement from Hatton Park Residents' Association reads: "We are very disappointed that again the travellers have decided to set up camp on Hatton Park, especially in light of the efforts made to install barriers.

"At the time of their arrival late last night, the travellers were spoken to by both a committee member of the Residents' Association and a Hatton Park resident making them aware of the burial ground and the fact it was consecrated ground but they failed to take any notice."