No action taken over travellers

Nearly 40 caravans have been moved on to the site

No immediate action will be taken against travellers who have moved on to a housing estate in Scarborough, the borough council has confirmed.

Some of the travellers who are in town for next week's Seamer Horse Fair have moved on to land off Centurion Way.

Another site was designated for them, but the group say it is unsuitable.

Magistrates told the council they could remove some of the travellers, but the council said partial enforcement would be "ineffective".

On Thursday the council was told it could only move travellers who had arrived at Centurion Way before Monday.

David Archer, the council's strategic director, said: "In consultation with North Yorkshire Police, the council has concluded that... taking partial enforcement action in relation to Centurion Way would be ineffective.

"No immediate action to remove travellers from the land will therefore now be taken, however, we are currently considering the legal steps available to us."

Mr Archer said the council was opening up an emergency access point, on the opposite side of the housing estate, to Centurion Way, "to enable those residents who may feel intimidated or unsafe when passing through the travellers to have an alternative route to and from their homes".

He added: "We share with residents the disappointment that we are unable to act to move the travellers from the land, particularly as the council and local community have gone to some length to provide a serviced site less than a mile from Centurion Way."