The rovers return

Travellers return to the Royton site

A group of travellers has moved on to former playing fields in Royton almost a year after the same site was filled with caravans.

The latest influx of 35 vans follows an illegal encampment over the Easter Weekend at the former B&Q store car park at Mumps.

The travellers began moving into the Streetbridge area of Royton on Wednesday night, on a grassy space known locally as the Scotch.

Last year a large group moved on to the same site and were blamed for break-ins and thefts at nearby businesses. Today police officers were working with Oldham Council officers to get a court order to move the new group on. Once the order has been made, the travellers will have 24 hours to quit the site, or be forcibly moved off.

A local resident said: “Oldham Council had tried to put some more banking around the site but this time they got through that.”