Travellers Occupy Braintree Tennis Club and Football Club

Braintree tennis club travellers

This morning BBC Essex reported the shocking news that a group of travellers had broken into Braintree football club and the neighbouring lawn tennis club and set up camp.

The tennis club has been forced to close, potentiality cancelling kids holiday clubs as well as members sessions. A spokesperson for the tennis club said that floodlights smashed and courts ruined.

Braintree Football Club is also concerned and may have to cancel some home matches. The gypsies / travellers are camped in parking areas around the football ground.

Police have not been able to do anything direct at the moment, due to the human rights act – they cannot evict travellers, even though they are trespassing, or by the sounds of it, breaking and entering.

The Braintree and Witham Times has video footage of more travellers arriving at the tennis club.

Initially 10 caravans arrived on the site but more have joined them. A BBC News reporter this evening counted around 20 caravans. Some of the caravans are pulled by large trucks.

Early this evening an Essex Chronicle photographer took some photos of the caravans:

Braintree tennis club travellers

 

Essex Police are monitoring the situation and the local MP is working with the police and Braintree Council, who are the landowners, to try to resolve the problem.

The tennis club is a volunteer run organisation with limited funds, and the damage to courts and floodlights could run into many thousands of pounds.

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