Council leader calls for travellers to be prosecuted for fly-tipping after leaving ‘trail of destruction’ in market town

The leader of Fareham Borough Council has called for changes to the law so that travellers can be prosecuted for fly-tipping, after an unauthorised encampment left large amounts of litter and a burnt-out motorbike in a recreation ground. Councillor Simon Martin said the group broke fencing to access the Park Lane site and, following their eviction, left behind rubbish including bin bags, gas canisters and a pram, with clean-up costs falling on the council and, ultimately, local taxpayers. The case highlights a wider difficulty faced by councils, which often struggle to prosecute travellers for fly-tipping despite bearing the financial burden of clearing sites.

The encampment, comprising around 19 vehicles, arrived at the Fareham site on 5 August and was evicted at the weekend, with Cllr Martin also alleging residents had faced abuse and dog attacks, though Hampshire Police said no such reports were received during the occupation. Separately, in nearby Gosport, council staff attempted to deter travellers from another field by deploying trucks and cutting the grass to raise dust, though residents reported further arrivals after the council team left for the day; local politicians said they had long been requesting measures to better protect open spaces from unauthorised access.