SIR - The Department for Communities and Local Government tell me that councils can act swiftly with strong powers at their disposal to remove illegal traveller encampments.
The strongest powers, they say, under Section 62A-E of the 1994 Criminal Justice & Public Order Act enable the police to direct trespassers from both public and private land in cases where there are vacant traveller pitches available in the same local authority area.
According to the T&A report (September 15), there have been empty pitches at Bradford’s two travellers’ sites for some years.
Why, therefore, has the council not been able, in conjunction with the police, to move on the many illegal occupiers immediately?
There surely is no reason for any delay whatever. Or is someone not telling us the full story?
Bob Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon
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