A local resident is asking for action to move on Travellers who are camping beside privately-owned playing fields at Ballinluig and who she claims have run riot with quads on the football pitch.
Highland Perthshire pensioner and member of Ballinluig AFC for 34 years, Irene Jones (79), told the PA that “police do not appear to care” and she feels alone dealing with the mess being created by four caravans that appeared on Friday, April 29.
Mrs Jones says when Travellers last stopped at the site a year ago she was involved with a horrendous clean up as they had used the space behind the sports pavilion as a toilet.
“They messed it up,” she said. “The council had to come and spray the ground with chemicals.
“I’m too old to be doing this. The way our village football club gets left when they come makes me sick.”
She informed police there were caravans again last week but when officers attended on Sunday, Irene was told the Travellers could only be moved if there was damage being caused.
“A year ago, when Travellers had been camped here, it took me two days to clear up,” she continued. “We could not go near the pavilion, all around it had been used as an outside toilet.
“PKC tackled it with a spray team. The police told us to create a barrier.
“Well, the Travellers have taken down that metal barrier we put across the road. It’s been busted.
“They have broken the perimeter fence and we have seen quads being ridden across our football field, damaging the playing surface.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were aware of the encampment at Ballinluig and officers liaised with the local authority.”
