Three pubs in Gosport have closed due to a traveller encampment and the police are ‘reluctant’ to evict them, a council leader has said.

The police have decided not to use special powers to evict travellers in the Nobes Avenue Recreation Ground which were recently used in Fareham.

Powers under Section 60C of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were used on an encampment close to the Cam Alders football ground. These powers can be deployed if an unauthorised encampment ‘is likely to cause significant damage, disruption or distress to the community’.

Gosport Borough councillor Steve Hammond said: "The Green Dragon, the White Horse and the Carisbrooke Arms are all closed because of the trouble. 

"The White Horse had a lot to deal with last night and they suggested if there’s this much trouble there won’t be a pub to open in the morning.

"The shops on Nobes Avenue, the kids are just walking in, grabbing stuff, walking out and the police say don’t challenge them.

"The Spar closed last night at 9pm because they were so frightened, the girls today were so stressed out they didn’t want to come to work.

"If pubs are closed and if it takes up to ten days, which it could do, for it to go to court will those pubs even be in a fit state to open afterwards? People being stressed just going to work isn’t fair on them."

Cllr Peter Chegwyn, leader of the council added: "The police seem reluctant to use the powers they have and it’s really for them to explain why that is. If they can use them in Fareham it would be nice to see them used in Gosport as well.

"I have to say in their defence even if they use the powers it doesn’t solve the problem, it just moves them from one site to another.

"Hampshire County Council have a legal duty to provide accredited traveller sites throughout Hampshire which they’ve failed to do over the last five to ten years they’ve cut the number of sites and that’s created the problem.

"The police should use the powers they have to remove travellers from sites like Nobes Ave which is surrounded by housing and shops on recreation ground where local children want to kick a football around."

A Hampshire police spokesperson said: "We are aware of an unauthorised encampment on Nobes Avenue Recreation Ground.

"Officers have attended and had positive conversations with the group and we are liaising with the landowners on the next steps."