A TOP council officer is calling for new solutions to the increasing problem of travellers after around 50 caravans, many from Ireland, turned up in Looe. The caravans contained around 150 adults and children and were parked illegally on the council-owned Millpool Car Park at West Looe for five days. Gerry Masters, head of Caradon council's Operations and Technical Services, says the situation caused 'some friction' with the local community. It is understood the travellers arrived to celebrate a family christening. Mr Masters, said changes in legislation by the Irish Government had made things difficult for travellers there as they are now unable to stay in one location for more than 24 hours. 'Five or six years ago we used to have some travellers coming from Ireland, but with the new rules more and more are now arriving, and from other European countries such as Romania,' he said. Nomadic 'These people are used to a nomadic life so the question needs to be asked "where can they go?"' Mr Masters also said that under the European Human Rights Act the council now has very limited powers in the way they are allowed to handle such situations. 'We served the small number of travellers who set up camp on the Millpool last Wednesday with a seven day notice under the Caradon Car Parking Order to remove their vehicles,' he said. 'With the sensitive and sensible support of Looe police officers, four Caradon staff visited all the other vehicles who arrived over the following days, and served the occupants with the same notice on Monday morning. 'The travellers began moving out of their own accord a few hours later and they had all left by 3pm, allegedly heading for Weston-super-Mare. If they had stayed beyond the expiry of the seven day notices I had considered cordoning them off but the Human Rights legislation would have overruled such action. 'However, explaining to the travellers that we had the power to impound their vehicles if they did not comply with the Orders prompted them to move on quickly.' Complaints Caradon dealt with a number of complaints from Looe residents who were annoyed the travellers had not been issued with fixed penalties for not paying to park on the Millpool, but Mr Masters said that Irish registered vehicles cannot be traced through the DVLA. 'These people have no fixed abode and are difficult to trace. They would have no intention of paying any fines and a fruitless administration exercise would have been at a cost to the local taxpayer. We do the best we can under difficult circumstances and apply as much pressure as we are able under limited powers,' he said. The council said it understood that the large number of travellers present was a 'gathering of the clans' who had met up to celebrate a christening on Saturday night in the town. Caradon council workers moved on to the Millpool soon after the travellers had left to clean up the area, and reported there was no damage. Looe mayor cllr Ron Overd said his phone had been 'red hot' over the weekend with people complaining about the travellers' presence, and a number of tourists coming into the town, on seeing the camp, had left again. A car boot sale on the Millpool also had to be cancelled.
