Soon after I wrote the original post yesterday, the travellers left the site during the afternoon, complying at last with the second notice served by Mendip District Council. I and local residents do appreciate the efforts of council officers and others to try and prevent the incursion and to make it as brief as possible.

People need to stay away from this area until it is cleared up, as it will be dangerous for children to pick things up and people might step on hazardous items. Frome Town Council’s grounds manager has put signs up this morning warning people to stay out of the affected areas.

There will now need to be a thorough clean up of the site where people were living for 2 weeks. A walkover inspection reveals that, in the area between the Collegians pitch and the Showfield office and car park, there are many piles and bags of rubbish, much of it rotting, and much litter strewn about, together with some piles of garden waste, a discarded old bike, broken glass and old gas canisters. Most worryingly there are some dangerous items such as old bleach bottles and other poisons, and piles of rotting waste by the football pitch dugouts, as well as human waste within them.   This will all have to be cleared away, as taxpayers expense.  I will be asking for a thorough cleanup as soon as possible. I hope to find out how much it all costs in the end.  I also await to hear the Police explain why they allowed the travellers in in the first place.

I am also asking all parties to coordinate actions to ensure that the site is and remains secure against further vehicle access in future. This morning, I understand that FTC’s grounds manager, in liaison with Mendip, helpfully put some boulders across the three access points that have been used to enter and exit the site, so that there is no way in for vehicles.  But I will be asking Mendip to strengthen these boundaries further.

If anyone notices anything further untoward on the Showfield please do contact Mendip District Council, the Showfield office or the police, or me, on the numbers in the previous post below or elsewhere on this website. thanks

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