Opinion: The law needs to be enforced

Only last month I wrote my column on the illegal encampment that was set up on the Werrington Rec and I’m disappointed there has now been a similar incursion just down the road.

The residents of Peterborough deserve better than to live with this uncertainty. The law needs to be enforced to prevent this from happening again and again.

As I write the illegal encampment has moved twice, both to other locations in Peterborough, Cuckoos Hollow and Orton.

These unwanted camps can’t be allowed to run riot in our city.

I am glad the police are proactively working with me and the Council on this issue and I am meeting them later this week to discuss how we can address this going forward.

But more needs to be done to prevent this from happening again and again.

Residents should not have to put up with this.

There were reports of anti-social behaviour in the Werrington Centre. The Ploughman Pub even had to close for a period of time because of this.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Peterborough cannot become a soft touch for illegal traveller camps.

I am glad I have a good working relationship with the local police in Peterborough and I am happy with the progress we are making in the city.

Street drinking, anti-social behaviour and aggressive begging has been a problem in our city for far too long. Regular readers of this column will know how strongly I feel on this.

I ran a big campaign last year to tackle nuisance in the city centre and I am pleased to see that police have increased patrols and their presence in the city centre.

I am told there have been multiple arrests around these issues and charges for breaching criminal behaviour orders in relation to aggressive begging.

There have also been dispersal orders put in place to tackle anti-social behaviour and increased patrols around Queensgate to tackle street drinking.

The Public Space Protection Order was brought in to address these issues and the police are using these powers given to them.

This is progress. But I understand that more needs to be done.

I will continue to work with the police, the council, local businesses and support agencies to crack down on crime in Peterborough.

I am proud of Peterborough, but seeing a small minority ruin it for the good people of our city makes me angry.

We are determined to make progress on crime in our city centre and I want to see the full force of the law used to crack down on illegal encampments in Peterborough.

Our city will not become a pushover for anti-social behaviour and illegal traveller encampments, Peterborough deserves better.