Fury has broken out in Birmingham after a large group of travellers turned up at a popular country park just as the Easter holidays began.Legions of caravans arrived at Sheldon Country Park over the weekend before the break formally started on Monday.Visitors to the family attraction were dismayed to discover multiple mobile homes had occupied the site’s car park.Footage recorded by a local resident captured the scene, showing the extent of the encampment.The timing has frustrated many families hoping to enjoy the green space during the holiday period, with some locals demanding authorities move on the unexpected guests from the popular park.Footage from Sheldon Country Park shows at least three caravans and two trailers occupying an entire corner of the parking area.Each caravan appears to take up a minimum of two parking spaces.Several vans were also brought onto the site alongside the mobile homes.Legions of caravans arrived at Sheldon Country Park over the weekend (file photo) | PAOnly a handful of empty spots can be seen in the footage – with dozens of visitors forced to squeeze their cars into the remaining spaces as a result.And in a further blow, the public toilets at the park have been shut following the travellers’ arrival.The country park confirmed it would remain open during Easter, but its toilets would not.While the Friends of Sheldon Country Park said on social media: “We have just been informed the travelling community have arrived on the main car park. It has been reported to the relevant team.”
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City councillors have pledged to conduct an assessment in a bid to remove the car park’s new occupants.One, Paul Tilsley, said officers would try to issue an eviction notice by Tuesday.”It is a constant problem… Travellers moving from one park to another, parking up and dumping their rubbish for the council to clean up,” he said.In the past, bailiffs tasked with evicting travellers have revealed to GB News what happens when they confront them.Last year, one team in the West Country shared how they servedd a “notice to quit” to the vagrants, caravan by caravan, informing each one that they had to go within two hours.”These can go one of two ways, but we kept it calm. Costs can spiral if it goes on,” they said.The country park confirmed it would remain open during Easter – but its toilets would not | GB NEWSBirmingham City Council has said it is committed to protecting its land and will act to reclaim areas affected by unauthorised encampments.”It is important that we protect our parks and we are using targeting measures to do this,” a council spokesman said.”We are committed to actively protecting all our land, including parks, and will take steps to recover land where unauthorised encampments encroach upon it.”To this end eviction proceedings have already begun.”The council has dedicated plots for the traveller community, in accordance with government policy – though not in the country park’s car park.