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Travellers demand 'ransom' of £1,500 to leave Premiership rugby club's grounds

A group of travellers set up camp at the home of a Premiership rugby club and demanded £1,500 when asked to leave - Devon Live / SWNS
A group of travellers set up camp at the home of a Premiership rugby club and demanded £1,500 when asked to leave - Devon Live / SWNS

A group of travellers allegedly demanded a £1,500 ransom from a Premiership rugby club after setting up camp in their stadium's car park.

Two caravans, a motor home and three other vehicles moved on to the grounds at Sandy Park, home to the Exeter Chiefs, on Saturday.

After they were confronted by club officials, the travellers insisted they would only leave the car park if they were paid £1,500.

The figure is said to be roughly the sum needed for a court eviction order, which is used by councils and businesses to force travellers to leave illegal encampments, according to the club.

Exeter Chiefs chief executive Tony Rowe suggested the ransom was used as a bargaining tactic to move the travellers on quickly and prevent an eviction order from being served.

He told The Sun: “They know the law and that because it's private land it will take 48 hours to obtain an order to remove them, which will cost us £1,500.

Two caravans, a motor home and three vehicles were first spotted in the grounds at Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park early on Saturday morning  - Credit: PA
Two caravans, a motor home and three vehicles were first spotted in the grounds at Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park early on Saturday morning Credit: PA

"I would rather pay for the order. If you pay them cash directly they will come back as they'll think you're a soft touch.”

The club confirmed that threats were made by travellers to senior officials before they approached police.

"We have had conversations with them and they asked for £1,500, and have made idle threats,” Mr Rowe said.

Exeter Chiefs refused to pay the ransom and were able to evict the travellers within 24 hours of their arrival with an enforcement order granted from a company in the Midlands.

The travellers have since left the site in Exeter, Devon, but security staff have remained there because of aggressive threats to return to the site.

It is believed that the same group have relocated to private land nearby and had been evicted from another site close by on Friday.

Mr Rowe said: "They were a bit aggressive and threatening when they left as we chucked them off so quickly and they threatened to come back.

"Considering they were only on site for less than 24 hours they left a ton of mess which we have cleared up. What they left was disgusting."