Building more permanent campsites for travellers is the only way to prevent illegal incursions into the county’s parks and green spaces, according to one expert.

Various groups of gypsies and travellers have been pitching up at different locations across the county for several weeks now, in some cases blighting the landscape with mountains of fly-tipped waste.

But Charlie Sherfield, head of the gypsy and traveller section at Hertfordshire County Council, says the recent epidemic has been caused by the lack of new sites built in the last 20 years.

There are currently 11 permanent traveller sites in Hertfordshire – including ones in Watford, Bushey and three in St Albans – although these are now full and unable to take new occupants.

“It’s a case of someone dying before someone new can get in,” he said.

“It’s the responsibility of the districts to provide sites. There are plans to build new ones but no-one wants a site next to them.

“But you have to ask yourself ‘do you want that or do you want them in your parks?’”

Problems with industrial and human waste left behind by travellers have been reported in North and West Watford, Bushey and Chipperfield – where the village cricket pitch was also “trashed” - in recent weeks.

Watford Observer:

Residents watch over a traveller encampment on Chipperfield Common

However Mr Sherfield, who liaises with travellers on a regular basis, said this kind of behaviour was not representative of the community as a whole.

“There are a lot of different groups around at the moment. It’s quite unusual, we’ve not had this many for years in Hertfordshire,” he said.

“One group is just a group of criminals, taking rubbish from London and fly-tipping it. They find a site, lock themselves in and then they fly-tip. They are different from the mainstream.

“Usually you don’t get much fly-tipping, apart from this group. They are giving everyone a bad name.”

Watford Observer:

Fly-tipped waste left in woodland behind a traveller site in Watford

He explained how the process to remove a traveller encampment was not always a swift one.

First council officers must make a “welfare visit”, then a recommendation is made to the council’s legal department about whether to move them immediately or not.

If action is agreed then a “direction” is served, requesting that they leave. If they refuse then the process goes to court, although it can often take several days to get a slot before magistrates.

Once a court order to leave has been served, non-compliance then becomes a criminal offence.

However Mr Sherfield explained that this approach was not always required.

He described how a small group of travellers, who usually live in permanent dwellings up north, recently visited Hertfordshire with their children to demonstrate their way of life.  

“They were keeping it clean and tidy, they just wanted a bit of time then were gone. They left two bags of rubbish, tied up,” he added.

“It’s not right to use the full force of the law against people like this – they were just showing their tradition to their family. Every group has to be treated differently.”

Do you think more permanent traveller sites should be built in the area? Let us know your thoughts at editor@watfordobserver.co.uk