BEYOND BELIEF

They cannot understand why travellers camped next to the school in Shirley, Southampton, for two weeks have not been moved on.

Games lessons have been cancelled and the school's football team has even had to play scheduled home matches away from the site.

Legal wrangles mean court orders that would force the travellers to leave have still not been served against them.

Even former Home Office minister John Denham adding his weight to the growing campaign has not ensured swift action.

The group arrived on the site a fortnight ago after setting up base at Southampton Common.

They left behind piles of rubbish and old blankets after police served them with eviction notices but no action was ever taken, despite them remaining in the city.

A small group moved to two car parks next to the Millbrook flyover and about seven caravans relocated to the field next to the school.

Just days later police were called after an air rifle pellet was fired at a classroom window while youngsters were having lessons.

Some parents even threatened to take their children out of the school until the travellers moved on. Council chiefs said there was nothing to connect the incident with the travellers' arrival.

The site belongs to the Civil Service Sports Council, which has a licence agreement with Southampton City Council for children to use the land.

A spokesman for the organisation said they were still dealing with the matter because they had been corresponding with civic leaders over who was responsible for launching legal action.

City Council leaders insisted their hands were tied because as they did not own the site, they were powerless to instruct courts to remove the travellers.

The wrangles have left the school and residents in limbo, with no real end in sight to the problem. The travellers themselves remained tight-lipped when quizzed by the Daily Echo on how long they planned to stay on the field.

Grandfather Walter Phillips, of Derby Road, St Mary's, whose granddaughter goes to the school, was among those calling for quick action to remove them.

He said: "I think they should be moved on now. Something should have been done by now because they've been there a while.

"I don't think it's right they should be there right next to a school."

A spokesman for the Civil Service Sports Council admitted they still did not have a firm date for court action to begin.

He said: "We are still dealing with it at the moment.

"We have been corresponding with Southampton City Council over who was going to be responsible for getting solicitors involved and that should be ascertained in the next few days and then we will get a court order to have them removed.

"The reason for getting the council involved was because we have got a licence agreement with them for part of the land and we had to sort out the legal side of that."

City council bosses insisted they could do nothing as the land did not belong to them.

A spokesman said: "As the land is owned by the Civil Service Sports Council it is up to the CSSC to evict them.

The city council has found it considerably difficult in getting hold of them and have been unable to establish any real contact with them.

"If we could get the travellers off then we would, but we are unable to go to court because we are not the landowner."

Vanessa Barclay, chairman of the school's parent teacher association, said: "I know the school is doing its utmost to keep travellers' children off the premises.

"I think the council should have made it more secure by putting up fencing around the perimeter so it couldn't have happened.

"The field is used by pupils for football but some of the training matches have had to be cancelled and some of the games that were meant to be played there had to be changed to away games."

One 38-year-old mum, who asked not to be named, said : "I am not very happy about them being there and I am surprised they are still there because I thought they were normally given a certain amount of time to move on and then had to go."

Ward councillor Brian Parnell said: "I am supporting the residents and the school, though I have heard the travellers have been behaving themselves there.

"However, I do hope they are moved on as soon as possible."

John Denham has called on the police to get tough with the travellers over litter they left at the common. But Hampshire police bosses insisted the length of time it took to issue anti-social behaviour orders meant it was not a suitable solution to deal with people from the travelling community.

Mr Denham hit back last night and said: "I think the police should be looking to use anti-social behaviour orders where the same group of people are creating the same problems on different sites.

"Hampshire police said the legislation was too difficult to use, and I was surprised by that.

"I believe that when the changes to anti-social behaviour orders went through, my understanding was that the police were supporting the provisions."

He added his disappointment at the failure to move on the group.

"Where people are trespassing on to land then the landowner does need to move quickly to take action.

"What has happened too often is a lack of clarity about whose job it is to respond.

"Local authorities and the police are encouraged to have a clear plan in place to deal unauthorised encampment so, right from the very beginning, there's no doubt about who needs to do what.

"I am always disappointed when there's confusion about whose job it is."

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

Thursday, September 25. More than a dozen vehicles arrive at Southampton Common, off Highfield Lane, overnight. It is believed they had previously been at the Belgrave Industrial Site in Portswood but left after being served with an eviction notice by police.

Friday, September 26. Worried residents inform the police and city council.

Monday, September 29. Council welfare officers go to the site to meet travellers.

Monday, October 6. City council serves eviction notices.

Tuesday, October 7. Overnight some travellers sought to evade the order by moving 50 yards on the other side of the road.

Thursday, October 9. Police return to the site to reinforce the notices.

Friday, October 10. Travellers split up and move to new sites, at car parks either side of flyover and next to St Mark's Junior School.

Wednesday, October 15. Reports of an air rifle pellet being fired at school.