HUNDREDS of traveller caravans pitched up in Basildon during the summer, figures have revealed.

Roughly 535 traveller caravans were reported in the area in July, up from 359 in July 2019.

A bill is currently passing through Parliament that would see police given greater powers to tackle such encampments, including right to seize vehicles and impose heavy fines on those trespassing.

The Friends, Families and Travellers charity, who work on behalf of all Gypsies, Travellers and Roma believe the new potentially legislation could threaten nomadic tradition.

Abbie Kirkby, public affairs and policy manager at the charity, said “With the Government’s policing bill making its way through Parliament, Gypsy and Traveller people living roadside will soon be caught in a catch-22 of potentially facing prison or being forced to move into bricks and mortar.

“It’s utterly illogical and immoral to use the full force of the law to tell people where they can’t go without telling them where they can go.”

However, councillor Kerry Smith, thinks Basildon Council can’t do any more to help travellers, claiming the borough has the most authorised traveller pitches in the county.

He said: “I think our neighbours should start to pull their weight, as I do not know why Basildon seems to be the counties favourite spot for travellers.

“They are residents of the county, so it is time for other parts of the county to take on their responsibilities rather than it just be put down as a Basildon problem because they seem to all stay here.

“On the piece of legislation, it has been going on for years, it needs to be done now.

“To be honest, the fines probably won’t ever get paid anyway as you need a fixed address to issue the fines too, so with the greatest respect it is a wild goose chase with that, but it is still welcome.

“What we have got numbers wise, we have got but we can’t support anymore we have the most authorised travellers’ pitches in the county, so our neighbours need to start pulling their weight to help the situation.”