Council officials were today seeking urgent legal advice following the overnight return of a travellers camp on Riverside Drive in Ham.

Environmental services and the council's public health team will review the Government guidance which has been amended to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak.

The previous camp disappeared on 20th May leaving a massive clean-up operation for the council and a bill for thousands of pounds of damage and waste clearance.

Over the weekend the council acted swiftly and placed large heavy bags of gravel outside the barrier to the Pitches to ensure they couldn't return to the original site.

In normal circumstances the council acts rapidly and works with the police to ensure that travellers move on. Often this has been done within a matter of days.

The pandemic has however brought along new factors that councils must consider in decision making when contemplating enforcement action against camps. This includes new Government guidance relating to the particular vulnerability of travellers families/groups to Covid-19.

This particular group in Ham includes families with young children and a number of pregnant women. The council has a duty of care to all those who reside in the borough – particularly those in the most need.

This includes the welfare of the travellers and provision of facilities such as temporary toilet facilities and water for hand washing.

The council is urgently discussing the situation with its legal team and Public Health to consider what action can be taken.

The council's park security contractor, Park Guard, will continue to monitor the travellers on site.

Residents are reminded that if they do witness any crime or anti-social behaviour – they must report it to the police on 101.

Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Committee at Richmond Council, said:"We are consulting our legal team and Public Health to ensure that we are acting within the Government guidance. We will update residents following these urgent discussions.

"Meanwhile, I reiterate that if you witness a crime you should report it to the Police. We will be continuing to review the situation and we will act if we need to."