TWO councillors have backed an MP's petition to give police more powers against unauthorised traveller encampments.

MP for North East Hampshire, Ranil Jayawardena is urging the government to give police the power to direct trespassers to leave simply because of trespassing.

Also, currently, police can direct travellers to leave an unauthorised site if there is a suitable pitch provided by the council elsewhere in Hampshire but the petition calls on the government to allow council pitches within 25 miles, even if this requires crossing the county boundary.

The campaign has been backed by Hampshire county councillor for Calleva division Rhydian Vaughan and Basingstoke and Deane borough councillor for Bramley and Sherfield Venetia Rowland.

Cllr Vaughan said: “Since August last year, two of my parishes have been laid siege to by travellers who have been in flagrant breach of the law at almost every turn.

" Criminal damage, breaches and misuse of the planning system, threats of violence, you name it.

“It is high time we were all under the same laws - there is a persecuted population in my division and it is not the travellers. I would welcome a realignment of the law in these areas.”

Cllr Rowland added: “I welcome the opportunity for my constituents to have their say on the review of laws dealing with unauthorised encampments in my ward.

"Local residents want to have laws that apply to everyone equally, and not have to endure the anti-social behaviour which there seems a reluctance or the lack of powers to deal with.”

Mr Jayawardena said: “Unauthorised traveller encampments are a nuisance for local communities and a completely inappropriate use of open space—whether it is highway land, Ministry of Defence land, or otherwise. People are rightly frustrated at the length of time processes seem to take within the law.”

The petition can be viewed at ranil.uk/travellers.

In the House of Commons, Mr Jayawardena said: “We do have discrimination in this country, not against travellers and gypsies, given the number of advocates they clearly have on the Opposition Benches, but against the hard-working, honest residents of communities up and down the land, the silent majority.

“It is a totally unlevel playing field and something must be done.

“More must be done. Constituents demand it—and, boy, do they deserve it.”