POLICE in Dorset are the first in the country to have used new powers to order travellers from unauthorised encampments onto a designated site.

In a massive operation over the bank holiday weekend and yesterday (August 31), teams of officers swooped on travellers visiting Blandford for the Great Dorset Steam Fair, checked none of the vehicles was stolen, and used new powers under section 62a of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act to direct them to move to a specified site at Stourpaine.

The move is in a bid to prevent a repeat of past problems, where travellers have occupied local beauty spots such as the Milldown and Stour Meadows.

And most travellers seemed happy to comply. Some told the Echo the farmland at Stourpaine, with refuse collection, a water supply and toilets, is the nicest site in the country they've visited.

Speaking at a police briefing yesterday morning, Chief Inspector Nick Maton told officers the project had been such a success that the designated site was almost full and they may well be faced with a situation of having to deter more travellers from coming.

The new powers were used for the first time on Saturday night when 13 caravans set up base at Blandford Army Camp.

Chief Insp Maton said: "They were told that if they failed to go their vehicles would be seized. Eventually they went and turned up on site with a large number of children. The farmer has even set aside an area for the children to ride their quad bikes."

And the Daily Echo went along with police, accompanied by a gypsy liaison officer, to move on an unauthorised encampment on the verge of Blandford Bypass. There we witnessed Insp Dave Cregg ordering a family of travellers to move on. He told them that failure to comply, or revisiting the site once they had left could result in three months' imprisonment or a fine.

And though the presence of police triggered an angry response, when travellers realised an alternative site was provided and they were not just being moved on their demeanour mellowed and they went willingly.

Alan Cooper, 45, a traveller from Ferndown, was among those moved from the bypass. He said: "It's fair enough if we have to be moved on, but it seems to be one rule for us and another for everyone else."

At least 43 caravans have now been directed to the site, a field overlooking picturesque countryside.

But the travellers were less happy with the response from locals over their arrival.

Eddy Taylor, 38, was on site with his family. He said: "We were moved from the village at Stourpaine and to be truthful people there treated us like dirt. There is so much prejudice about travellers - we're not doing any harm, all we want is to live our lives the way we were brought up.

"But the police did well for us and we're happy to go along with them asking us to move. The new site is safer for the kids. This field is the best accommodation we've had in the country."

The farmer at the site will receive around £20,000 from North Dorset District Council and Dorset County Council but when the steam fair is over responsibility for evicting travellers shifts to him.

Owing to the fact that this is the first time the legislation has been used, the outcome of this operation will have a knock-on effect on the way unauthorised traveller encampments are dealt with in the future.

Insp Cregg said: "I'm pleased we can now use these powers and hope it will set a precedent for other areas.

"The groups of travellers I've spoken to have welcomed us doing this.

"It seems to be working well. Compared to last year the number of calls from the public regarding the travellers has plummeted. The behaviour of travellers on the official site has been really good, they appreciate what has been done for them. We're also doing a lot to reassure the public and have the police community vehicle in the area to deal with any concerns residents may have."

Nia Bailey, gypsy and traveller liaison officer at Dorset County Council, said many of the travellers are prevented from using the official steam fair camping sites because they have commercial vehicles and said until now they had little option but to camp on unauthorised sites. She said moves were afoot to find more official traveller sites in north Dorset such as this one.

First published: September 1