Thank you for your interest in this story

To continue reading this article, subscribe to the Stray Ferret for as little as £1 a week

    Already a subscriber? Log in here.

    10

    Jun 2023

    Last Updated: 10/06/2023
    Crime
    Crime

    Police alerted after travellers set up camp at Ashville College

    by Tamsin O'Brien

    | 10 Jun, 2023
    Comment

    0

    travellers-ashville-june-2023

    A group of traveller families has set up camp on Ashville College's sports field off Yew Tree Lane in Harrogate.

    The independent fee-paying school said is was alerted at 9.00pm last night to their arrival and that police have attended the scene.

    In a statement the school said it was working closely with the police to remove the travellers and their vehicles as soon as possible.

    This not the first time travellers have pitched up on Ashville's sports fields. In August 2021 travellers parked on the school's land and demanded money to leave. They left only to return weeks later. The school then started legal proceedings against them before they eventually departed.

    Today Ashville College said:

    "Naturally, our priority is to ensure the safety of our pupils and to minimise disruption to normal School life. We have taken a number of precautionary measures today including postponing home sports fixtures and ensuring close supervision of our boarders as they move around the campus.
    "All parents were contacted on Friday evening and we will continue to update them as we monitor the situation.
    "We are grateful to our families for their understanding, and praise our staff for making every reasonable effort to prevent the break-in. The continued vigilance of our staff and supervision of pupils on-site is of paramount importance".