One man starts clear-up after Travellers leave ‘dreadful’ mess on south Bristol sports fields

For Raymond Inman, a weekly litter pickering round of two sports fields in south Bristol usually takes two hours and results in one bag of rubbish.

But today (August 1), the 71-year-old is beginning the huge task of clearing up mess left by a group of travellers on a large playing field in Stockwood.

The group only arrived on the site, located between West Town Lane and Sturminster Road, on Thursday - but in just a matter of days large areas have been turned into mud while litter is strewn across the playing surfaces.

There are also big piles of garden and domestic waste in an open ditch at the rear of the site, with much of it appearing to come from garden and house clearances.

When Bristol World arrived at 10am, Mr Inman was five bags into his litter pick of the fields having started at 8am.

The former gardener, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, said: “As if coming on this site wasn’t bad enough, this group has left the place in this dreadful state - it’s so disheartening for us all, and we’ve got a job now to clean it all up.

“I started two hours ago and I’ve already filled these bags. I was feeling like I was making progress when I discovered even more rubbish around the edges of the field. I don’t understand why they can’t take the rubbish with them.”

10 pictures show the ‘horrible’ mess left by Travellers in south Bristol

It is believed that the caravans had arrived from illegal encampments at Whitchurch Green near Asda, and also Hengrove Park. The presence had triggered concern locally and police were called.

The field is managed by charity Imperial Sports Ground, which has a club house and more fields across the road. Managers from the charity had issued issued Notice to Leave letters on each caravan on Saturday.

And last night there was relief in the local community when the caravans moved on, but then realisation this morning over the amount of rubbish left and the damage caused to the playing fields.

Wood has also been sawn from one of the pitch dug-outs and a lock has been broken to the disued changing rooms.

Mr Inman said: “It’s happened once before, but not like this. Little care, if any, has been shown to this sports field so valued by the local sports community. It’s not right.

“They’ve come on here, used the place as their home and business base and then left it in a mess. But who is going to stop them?”

It is believed that many of the group have now moved back on to Hengrove Park. Last month Bristol City Council issued a court order to take back possession of the field during the last encampment which led to the cancellation of the weekly Whitchurch Car Boot Sale.

Earlier this year, Bristol City Council revealed plans to create between six and eight permanent pitches for gypsy and travellers on fenced off land in Western Drive, off Hengrove Way.

There are 12 permanent pitches in the city, but the council needs to triple by next year. A count of the number of traveller caravans pitched in Bristol at the start of the year showed there were 24 caravans in the city - down from 33 the year before.