Residents report large number of incidents in Market Deeping area

Residents claimed the incidents, which include threats of violence, children being chased and shopping stolen, are linked to some members of a group of travellers that have moved into the area.

One resident told the Peterborough Telegraph: “There have been numerous problems. Children and young girls have been chased and some areas are virtually in lockdown with parents keeping their children indoors they are so worried about what has been happening.”

Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones told residents via a Facebook discussion group:

“Thank you for alerting me (as the Police and Crime Commissioner) to the scale of concern residents are feeling regarding the illegal traveller encampment in the area.

“We should never accept criminality within our communities and I see the kinds of issues raised as being totally unacceptable regardless of who is carrying them out. I immediately contacted the Deputy Chief Constable to get a briefing on the situation, discover what operational response the force have on the ground and what they will be doing next to resolve the situation.

“There are a number of specific operational things that have been done, resulting in arrests, and there is more being done. As you would expect the detail is sensitive and cannot be shared during the various operational stages but I’m reassured that there is a grip being applied.

“The DCC is being personally briefed on matters and will inform me of developments as they happen. As the public representative to policing not the police’s representative to you, I can assure you that I am not here to tell you that things are being done if I suspect that they aren’t, at this stage I am reassured by the action being taken.

“These things are never as simple and straightforward as we’d all like and the police (unlike those they often interact with) must follow the law in dealing with these issues.”