A BBC Look East news story on rising tension between travellers and Peterborough council.
Genre:
News; Politics; Television
For the east of England's travelling community, Peterborough serves as a mid-way point between summer work on East Anglian farms and winters spent in the Midlands dealing in scrap metal. Despite recent moves to create dedicated spaces for travellers, Peterborough City Council have recently adopted a well-documented policy of systematic 'moving on', leading to hostility and tension.
With a gasworks redevelopment site close to the city centre taken over by travellers, BBC East correspondent David Cass interviews their spokesman John 'Cowboy' Smith, who claims they will increase their protest, even threatening to step up the protest by leaving their trailers in Cathedral Square. The Romany travellers are supported by the Peterborough Council for Community Relations, whose chairman Kami Simmonds refers to the councils actions as a form of harassment. Despite approaches from the BBC, there is no comment from the council pending court proceedings.
Featured People:
John 'Cowboy' Smith, traveler spokesman; Kami Simmonds, Peterborough Council for Community Relations Chairman
Featured Organisations:
Peterborough City Council; Peterborough Council for Community Relations (now Peterborough Racial Equality Council)