Report reveals full extent of clean up operation from travellers camp on Boston play area

In a report to go before members of the Boston Town Area Committee (BTAC) tomorrow evening, details are revealed of the full extent of the clean up needed at Woodville Road Park play area after the illegal encampment was set up last month.

Included within the report are pictures, some of which are included here, but some we can't show for reasons of taste, which show the extent of the waste left behind and the clean up that had to be completed by the council to make the play park safe once again.

Contamination of the play area by human faeces and associated waste meant that the playground had to remain closed and sealed off for almost a week after the encampment left.

The travellers arrived on Friday July 31 and left on Wednesday August 5.

The report, given by the council’s community safety officer Peter Hunn, states that police received reports of 13 incidents related to the encampment.

These included thefts from nearby businesses and from individuals, threatening behaviour, fire damage to play equipment, and quad bike riding on the play area.

At one point, council officers on site were told people’s fingers ‘would be broken’ if caravans were touched when council staff officers said they planned to return with an officer from the National Vehicle and Crime Intelligence Service.

Following the threats, the visit was called off because police “did not have adequate resources at that time to deal with large disorder”, the report states.

It also mentions that one of the travellers themselves reported that someone had tried to petrol bomb their caravan, although no fire damage was found other than that done to play equipment.

The incident is the fourth time an illegal encampment had been set up on the site in three years.

The travellers were eventually served with civil injunction orders and a summons to court.

Despite telling officers they would leave on Sunday, August 2, they didn’t go until the following Wednesday.

Police received 13 incident reports related to the encampment, including allegations of theft, verbal threats, quad bike riding, criminal damage and attempts to scam local businesses.

Clean-up of the site, officer time and legal fees cost the council £473.69.

The report states that the clean-up operation commenced at 0600hours on Thursday August 6. “The damage consisted of one item of play equipment and safety surfacing had moderate fire damage and two items of equipment, the pirate ship and climbing frame, were heavily contaminated with human faeces and associated waste. There was also a significant amount of litter.

“Due to the bio hazard presented on site, the play area was closed, contaminated equipment was fenced off and bio hazard signage was installed.

“The initial clean-up operation completed on August 6; however, due to the high level of offensive contamination, a deep sanitisation and pressure wash started on August 10 and completed on August. The play area was reopened on Wednesday 12th August.”

Alternative solutions proposed include concrete bollards at £18,620 and a 1m high soil bund around the recreation ground at a cost of £43,540.

Boston Town Area Committee will vote on the measures on Thursday.