Bid to close Traveller site where 'guns have been hidden in toilet blocks'

Toilet blocks at a council run Traveller site have allegedly been used to hide guns, Bolton town hall has said. The authority will this week make an application to the courts for a closure order to prohibit access to Crompton Lodge caravan park following a series of alleged incidents.

Greater Manchester Police said recent alleged incidents include - firearms and ammo being seized; stolen vehicles and motor parts being recovered; violent offences against staff; stolen dogs being found; cannabis seized and cannabis production evidence being found; plant machinery found; 'large scale' incidents of disorder and 'violence with injury'; criminal damage; fly-tipping; and knife-point robberies.

The council and police said the site, in the Moses Gate area of Bolton, which is owned and managed by the local authority, has seen a significant increase in alleged criminal activity and threatening behaviour in recent months. They said alleged incidents involving drugs, serious violent crime and firearms mean the site is no longer safe for residents, including families and young children, visiting council staff or other agencies.

READ MORE: Discovery in mum-of-two's kitchen lands her in court following 'controlling' relationship with ex

They claim that in the last six months there has been an escalation in the level of violence and criminality, culminating in a serious attack on a council liaison officer. Last month, a police investigation into the illegal abstraction of electricity where seven arrests were made resulted in council staff being escorted onto site to make the area safe for residents.

Significant vandalism to the Crompton Lodge site office has meant it is no longer possible for council staff to maintain a permanent presence in the area and repeated damage to onsite cameras means ongoing repairs or replacement of the CCTV system is no longer viable.

Toilet blocks on vacant pitches have also been allegedly broken into and used to store stolen items, drugs and firearms. Stolen vehicles and high value plant equipment have also been found on the site, police say. All those occupying the site will now be served with letters, declaring that the council is satisfied that the site is 'causing nuisance to members of the public, and creating wider disorder for both nearby residents, the wider Bolton area and the Traveller community'.

Crompton Lodge residents who have a tenancy agreement will be provided with full support and guidance throughout the closure process. A Bolton council spokesperson said: “As a council, we fully recognise our statutory duty to make provisions for the Traveller community.

“However, we have now reached a point where it is no longer possible to safely maintain and run this site, despite a number of joint interventions over many years. Due to repeated hostility, council employees and contractors are unable to visit without a police escort, and this is no longer sustainable.

“We are now seeking a closure order for Crompton Lodge, including for those that are legally tenanted to live there, so we can regain control of the site and make it safe and secure for the local community.”

Chief Superintendent Stephanie Parker, Bolton District Commander, said: “The local community have been subject to unacceptable levels of crime and violence linked to this site, which has significantly escalated in recent months.

“The action taken is to safeguard our communities and seek to reduce repeat demand on our local neighbourhood officers who have spent hundreds of hours in this area responding to serious incidents. Our top priority is to protect members of the public including the Travellers, residents, local authority officers, and our own police officers, and we will always seek to use all relevant powers available to do so.

“We continue to work closely with colleagues at Bolton Council and local charity organisations to ensure residents of the site receive the relevant information and support.”

The council will make an application to Greater Manchester Magistrates’ Court for a Closure Order under Section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Breaching a closure order is a criminal offence carrying a penalty of either imprisonment for a period of up to six months or an unlimited fine, or both.