A hospital has been denied thousands in vital funds for equipment after an annual event was cancelled – because of travellers.
Organisers of a charity fete in Bodmin, Cornwall were forced to cancel the event after travellers moved onto the site.
Up to 1,000 people were due to attend Bodmin Hospital Fete on Saturday, June 29.
Travellers occupying the council-owned ground. Organisers of a charity fete in Bodmin, Cornwall were forced to cancel the event
But after travellers set up camp at the council-owned ground on Thursday, organisers say they had no choice but to cancel the popular community event.
Each year the fete raises about £6,000 for the Bodmin Hospital League of Friends, a charity which provides equipment and services to the hospital and its patients.
Ann Gregan has been a member of the league for almost 10 years and has helped organise several fetes in the past.
Travellers set up camp parking in a circular formation, blocking a large area of the fete ground
Gas bottles are seen outside of a caravan brought by travellers to the would-be fete site
The 79-year-old said the committee was heartbroken but had no choice but to postpone the fete.
‘It’s totally heart-breaking and gutting,’ she said.
‘Hours and hours of hard work has been put into this; preparing for the fete. It raises so much money for the hospital.
‘I agree, live and let live, and travellers have got to go somewhere but they knew the situation and that we couldn’t go ahead with the fete and that it raises so much money for the hospital.
Owners of the caravans reportedly said sorry to the organisers but would not move
‘They just looked us in the eye and said sorry and carried on.’
She added: ‘There was a big sign outside saying the fete was happening on June 29.
‘They couldn’t have missed it.’
It’s understood about 10 caravans moved onto the site by the hospital on Thursday after reportedly being moved on from another site in Launceston.
Ann explained that the fete is held on council-owned land and that the league has a licence to hold the event on part of the site.
The league arranges for the grass and hedges to be cut ahead of the event.
Bodmin hospital, Cornwall, has been denied thousands in vital funds for equipment after the annual fund raiser was cancelled
The travellers offered to move onto the area with longer grass but Ann said the committee didn’t have the authority to permit them to do so.
‘The committee had a meeting yesterday morning,’ she said.
‘The problem is that we don’t have a licence for the long grass area.
‘We are not responsible for it.
‘We were also worried about possible fires in the grass.
‘We had to do a risk assessment and decided it was not a responsible decision.’
It’s now hoped the fete will now be held on September 21.
Travellers invade £12,000-a-year private school forcing staff to send pupils home as intruders say ‘we have every right to be here, there was no sign saying we couldn’t’
By Terri-Ann Williams for MailOnline
Travellers pitched up on the grounds of a £12,000-a-year-private school forcing staff to send pupils home earlier today.
Teachers at the prestigious AKS Lytham School in Blackpool were forced to stand at the school gates this morning to tell students to turn around and leave.
The travellers however, claimed they had ‘every right’ to stay on the site, after around six caravans and a number of vehicles parked up on the fields which form part of the school’s grounds.
Loose dogs were said to have been prowling the premises this morning as school officials attempt to resolve the issue.
Travellers pitched up on the grounds of a £12,000-a-year-private school forcing staff to send pupils home earlier today. Above: Caravans and cars on the playing field of AKS Lytham
AKS Lytham headteacher Mike Walton this morning said: ‘Due to unauthorised presence of travellers on the school grounds we have had to close the school today.’
A receptionist added: ‘We are having to tell parents that school isn’t on today.
‘There are dogs running around and it is felt it isn’t safe for the pupils to be in.’
Teachers at the prestigious AKS Lytham School in Blackpool were forced to stand at the school gates this morning to tell students to turn around and leave. Above: Police were seen talking to the travellers
The travellers however, claimed they had ‘every right’ to stay on the site, after around six caravans and a number of vehicles parked up on the fields which form part of the school’s grounds
Parents praised the school after they uploaded their statement to its official Facebook page.
One parent said: ‘Thank you for making the correct decision to close the school today. Keeping the children safe is of paramount importance.’
Another added: ‘Very well organised this morning considering how many children had to leave at the same time!’
This is while one woman called Susan Scott, claiming to be one of the travellers on the site, posted on Facebook this morning.
She said: ‘I’m one of the travellers on that site.
‘We have every right to be on there as there was no gate or sign to say we couldn’t go on. We are only going to be here for eight weeks.
Loose dogs were said to have been prowling the premises this morning as school officials attempt to resolve the issue. Above: Headteacher Mike Walton speaks to officers
Parents praised the school after they uploaded their statement to its official Facebook page
‘My caravan is clean and we don’t leave mess.’
A number of men emerged from caravans to speak with officers face to face from around midday.
A few parents of children at the school who live nearby arrived at the gates to watch the incident play out.
Susan Scott, who claimed to be one of the travellers herself, said on Facebook that the group had planned to be there for ‘only’ eight weeks
Ms Scott had added: ‘My caravan is clean and we don’t leave mess’. Above: Three police vans and officers pictured near the school field
At around 2.40pm this afternoon the travellers left the site, in total it’s thought there were more than eight caravans parked on the fields with many more vehicles alongside them.
Lots of children and pet dogs were seen running around before the exodus. A police canine unit was in place but it’s not thought it was needed in the end.
One passerby, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: ‘This is just a real pain.
At around 2.40pm this afternoon the travellers left the site. In total it’s thought there were more than eight caravans parked on the fields with many more vehicles alongside them
The travellers left in a convoy of cars and caravans while police watched on to ensure that their departure went smoothly
The travellers had claimed after their arrival that they had ‘every right’ to be on the site – but they still left after the police’s arrival
Lots of children and pet dogs were seen running around before the exodus. A police canine unit was in place but it’s not thought it was needed in the end
‘I work and so does my wife so we had to make last minute arrangements for my kids who go to the school.
‘I understand why the school have made the decision to close for the day.
‘It’s a shame that it’s come to this though.
‘Fortunately it looks like things are getting resolved now, so hopefully the kids will be back in tomorrow.’
One parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: ‘This is just a real pain. I work and so does my wife so we had to make last minute arrangements for my kids who go to the school’
The ‘AKS’ abbreviation began being used in 2012 when King Edward VII and Queen Mary School and Arnold School merged. Above: Officers wait for the travellers to move on
The man said parents of children at the school received an email at around 9am telling them it was closed and instructing for youngsters to be picked up.
It’s thought most teachers remained in the school, as some were seen working through the windows. None were available to approach for comment.
AKS Lytham is a private school which has more than 500 pupils aged from three to 18.
In a statement this morning Fylde Police had said: ‘We are aware of the presence of travellers on school grounds at AKS Lytham and we are working closely with both the school and the local authority to resolve the issue’
The school (pictured above) which charges £12,000-a-year had to close this morning due to travellers on the site
The ‘AKS’ abbreviation began being used in 2012 when King Edward VII and Queen Mary School and Arnold School merged.
It is due to break up for the summer holidays on Friday 5/7.
In a statement this morning Fylde Police said: ‘We are aware of the presence of travellers on school grounds at AKS Lytham and we are working closely with both the school and the local authority to resolve the issue’.
Lancashire Police have been contacted.