Hi, Clive
Couldn't agree more, during the late summer and Autumn our area has been over run with what our local authority calls "travellers". Appearing to treat them with a softly softly protected species attitude. On one occaison quite early in the Morning I was taking my Wife to work, as I approached a set of Traffic Lights Green in my favour,a Massive unit came from the turning on my right causing me to swerve and brake. This was a Huge Tabbert Towed with what looked like a Land Cruiser. No Rear number plate or working Electrics on the rear of the 'Van. As the lights were on Green for me I followed but owing to the size of the van I couldn't see the reg on the Car. The driver, realizing that I was following made off at speed making a near impossible turn into a narrow lane. By now my wife was on the Phone to the Police, first question what's the regisration number? obviously we didn't know, but we did give a full description of car Caravan and direction of travel at this point the controller asked if we thought that they were travellers as the lane led to a newly "aquired" encampment!! End of Conversation.
On my return journey Home there was a Police car and officer parked at the Lane end. I stopped and asked if he was looking for the unit which we had reported earlier "No" was the reply, "that's on a field down there I'm waiting here in case any more arrive". I bet the those alredy on site hadn't tipped their Mates off. A couple of days later a local paper carried a story about how a large number of travellers had taken over some waste land in this very spot. Point is, one of the early arrivers had cropped the lock from the gate and despite many calls to the police from the land owner when ther was only a couple of 'vans on, nothing had been done. I think the final count was about 50 That means that even after everyone was aware about another 40 slipped by. Mind it was a Bank Holiday so Plod was sat in a lay by waiting for a legitimate caravvaner to pass with a number plate light out.
Point of this story is that owing to political correctness or whatever, the Police don't want to get involved. Try driving your unit without a rear No. Plate and see how long it takes to get stopped and warned or prosecuted, thats because we are all registered on the "system" and easy targets for 60 quid. Much more difficult to stop check an "unregisterd" vehicle, after all it is impossible to trace any one with the address "in a field somewhere" which begs the question what of road tax insurance etc. As I said at the begining we have been overun with them this summer with the same local authority that couldn't shift them spending thousands on cleaning up after them, all at our expense. Which reminds me my Council Tax is due, must pay or go to prison.
Eddie.