Police refuse to enter Ely travellers’ site over safety

A crime victim turned detective and flew a microlight over a travellers site to find her stolen caravan – after police said it was not safe for them to enter.

Helen Cox, 44, went to extreme lengths after refusing to accept nothing could be done to retrieve the £5,000 vehicle which was taken from her home.

Police said travellers ‘wouldn’t let them into the site’ – even when she provided them with aerial pictures showing the caravan inside.

Helen Cox, 44, went to extreme lengths after refusing to accept nothing could be done to retrieve the £5,000 vehicle(pictured) which was taken from her home

Mrs Cox, from Ely in Cambridgeshire, has now been reunited with the vehicle after it was returned to her following a relentless appeal on social media.

She said: ‘I suggested the police might like to get a van of officers together, at which point the young girl [call handler] sniggered and said “and where do you think we’ll get a van full of officers from?”

‘I was livid, I asked her if she thought it was funny, I said if you can’t get on the site, who the hell can?

‘I suggested I should go myself at which point she said “I don’t recommend that”.’

‘Meanwhile, my mother arranged a microlight to fly over and we captured an image of what we are sure is our caravan hidden by some trees.

‘I then had a call from the police, saying they had been there for five hours and the travellers “wouldn’t let them into the site”.

‘They also said they had flown a drone over but couldn’t see anything, and there was nothing more they could do.’

The caravan was stolen from Mrs Cox’s home last week and a local farmer told her he had seen it at the nearby site.

Mrs Cox said: ‘The thieves moved farm machinery to steal it.

‘The following day when it was discovered stolen, I posted a picture on many Facebook sites asking for help to find it.

‘Some hours went by and I had a call saying there were going to do a ride by, but couldn’t tell me anything else.’

She received a Facebook messages saying her white caravan, which had a bike rack attached, was seen going into the site with no towing lights at night last Thursday.

But police refused to go into the site to investigate, even when she provided them with photographic evidence proving it was there.

Following Mrs Cox’s relentless appeal on social media, the caravan was dumped in a nearby field.

She added: ‘I had posted the stolen caravan all over Facebook and that is why I have it back.

‘In the words of the PCSO who accompanied us to the caravan, “I’ve never seen a caravan returned to its owner in x number of years”.’

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: ‘Officers attended the location of where it was believed the stolen caravan was and also used a drone to look over the site, however these attempts were unsuccessful.

‘Due to officer safety it was not safe or legal for them to enter the site.

‘There was insufficient information for officers to be able to obtain a warrant to access the site, however the caravan has since been recovered and returned to its owners.’

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: 'Due to officer safety it was not safe or legal for them to enter the site'

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: ‘Due to officer safety it was not safe or legal for them to enter the site’

But the force was slammed after news of the caravan being found spread on social media.

Gary Currington said: ‘Meanwhile I go through amber lights just going on red and out of nowhere comes a police car lights flashing sirens the lot. 

‘Easy targets as usual but once it comes to targets like this they absolutely bottle it. Total disgrace.’

Gazza Lawrence said: ‘The police are powerless because if they do anything they’re seen as bad and the race card is played.’

Karen Elizabeth Taylor added: ‘Pathetic! What’s wrong with them? They have never got involved with travellers affairs.’ 

Nazer Ali said: ‘Shame on police. Police are always against the decent and hard-working people but they are scared of trouble makers etc… what a shame.’

And Larry Locke said: ‘I would like to know what we are paying the police for if that had been in my house they would soon be in, even if I said you could not come in.

‘Is there a law for one and not for another? They might as well tell them to do as they like as we will not interfere.’  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk