NOTICE TO QUIT: Bailiffs deliver eviction notices to gipsies on the Clifton Moor Industrial Estate

by Janet Hewison

Businesses based at Clifton Moor, York, are to meet council chiefs and police after bailiffs had to be brought in to clear gipsies from the site.

They claim the gipsies have caused mess, noise and disruption during numerous stays at different sites on the business park and have vowed to take action to stop them coming back again.

Yesterday bailiffs from York County Court, backed by police officers and a tow truck, moved in to tell gipsies to move or have their caravans towed off the site.

Charles Denby, from landlord British Land's agents Conrad Ritblat, said hundreds of pounds had already been spent on several weeks of legal preparations for the eviction.

The gipsies, who had four caravans parked outside Solaglass, in Seafire Close, had been given 24 hours' notice of the eviction on Tuesday and Mr Denby said it was the first time he could remember that they had left it until after the next day's deadline to move on.

As the bailiffs, police and tow truck driver watched as they packed together their things, the gipsies made it clear they did not want to go.

They said they would be moving on to a council site, but did not say where, and declined to make any comment to the Evening Press giving their side of the dispute.

Two other caravans, parked in Kettlestring Lane on another section of the business park, were then moved on.

Mr Denby said if the same people came back to the business park they would be evicted, but if they were different travellers the whole legal process would have to begin again.

He said part of the cost of the eviction would be passed on to businesses through their service charge.

Bill Heath, chairman of the Clifton Moor Business Assocation, said a meeting would be held at the end of next week with council chiefs and the police to look at the issue.

"What we're going to recommend to members is to adequately fence their land off to stop them getting on," he said.

"If we can stop them coming on to the land, then the only place will be on the highway.

"We're also going to have a talk by a solicitor who knows the ins-and-outs of what we should do."

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