“I'm finding it difficult to be as accepting as I 'd like to be, of travellers, after two separate incidents of travellers causing damage to my farming friends. The first time their saddlery was stolen and some vehicles were damaged; several years later, when another group arrived, a field containing horses was opened, all the horses were let out onto a road, and the caravans parked in that field. The owners of the farm returned to find this, and, after several weeks (before they finally managed to get the required support to get them out), the damage to the land was unspeakable, not to mention the litter which everyone here has managed many times. I just wish that the litter was the only problem we had to worry about. Letting out livestock into traffic is slightly more concerning.”

“The site is not suitable for (travellers) It is next to the cemetery Can you imagine how scary it will be to have all these people roaming around. To say nothing of half wild dogs.I visit the cemetry every two weeks and the thought scares me. How come a small village like Groby manages to get 10 sites while Hinkley only gets 2 Talk about Not In My Back Yard”

“Having seen first hand the trouble caused by travellers I would totally and absolutely be against a camp near me. There may very well be decent folk living among them but if you get bitten by a dog once you'll always be weary of them.

A local pub landlord in my area had to give up his business because of travellers threatening him and his family, all because the travellers had tarmaced the car park for them, when the landlord had only given them permission to park their vehicles - they then demanded thousands in payment for the job.

Also the mess left is not just rubbish but human waste, I've seen this first hand on a site and it is absolutely appalling behaviour. Why the hell should our council tax pay for these filthy people when they could quite easily get to a tip to use the facilities. Move them on, that's what they do in Ireland.”

“"But the point is that we can't base our understanding of issues on life experience alone. If we did do that then I would believe that all people called Daniel weren't able to empathise with people different to them, but common sense tells me that this can't be true.............."

Well i can tell you that all people called J,Leic live on another planet to the rest of us if that helps. Please give me your own life experience dealing with travellers? I would like to see your views in real life situation. There has to be something positive that you can tell us about travellers which would stop all this frustration and anger towards them! surely you must know in your vast life experience with them?”

“Saying that the reason they leave a mess is because they have no collection facilities does not ring true!! I was under the impression that EVERYBODY (including travellers) had access to public tips.”

“I see your point J but i've been at the receiving end of verbal abuse and being spat at by travellers from my home town in Notts, as well as being verbally abused when innocently walking past the recent camp in leics. Maybe i am being naive but surely we should treat others as we wish to be treated, i wouldn't dream of spitting or swearing at someone in the street, but people get accused of being racist/stereotyping when they complain that travellers have behaved this way to them. Maybe we need a little give and take, if travelling communities would take time (albeit a small amount) to bag up their rubbish, local communities may be a little less hostile towards them, again naive of me perhaps but seems we just to respect everyones different way of life, and at the moment they show no respect to the land or neighbours they effect so i can see why people are reluctant to return the favour.”

“"You seem to be completely unaware that people have their own views based on their own experiences! then you try and come back with the same old response "thats not a written and proven fact" of course it isnt because its from their own life experience."

Daniel, Leicester

Not at all Daniel, people's life experiences are important and shouldn't be denied whether a traveller or a member of the housed population.

But the point is that we can't base our understanding of issues on life experience alone. If we did do that then I would believe that all people called Daniel weren't able to empathise with people different to them, but common sense tells me that this can't be true..............”

“J,

Wow, tunnel visioned or what. Forget what your survey from 2006 said. (I'm sure it was a great read)

People are here telling you of how they have been personally effected by the travelers and your response is... La la la I'm not listening!

Come back and talk to us when they're on your drive not when you've read some university study! Seriously I find it offensive that you dismiss people real experiences over a study you read once. talk about small minded. Get in the real world or better still spare the rest of us in the real world your opinion, (sorry the university of Birminghams opinion).

Still waiting on that address by the way!”

“An ideal site would be the saffron lane cycle bowl when it has been demolished.... no need for ten sites in the county when you can accomodate all the travelers in one camp in the city.”

“LA, a fair and level headed point.

However, I do have to say that if I had to put up with constant racist abuse, being spat at, abused, assaulted, and generally socially excluded by virtually everyone in the housed population wherever I went I wouldn't be bending over backwards to be nice to them..........

And before you deny this happens, do a google search for "leicestershire traveller needs assessment" and read what Birmingham University had to say in their report in 2006.”