Large group of travellers given police escort from Bolsover site

The group set up camp on the Sherwood Lodge and Town End car parks in the town on the afternoon of Sunday, July 17.

Officers were called to a nearby Wetherspoon pub, The Pillar of Rock, on Castle Street, on Sunday evening to reports of a large group of customers allegedly being aggressive and intimidating towards staff, a spokesman for Derbyshire Police said. The pub decided to close early. No arrests were made. It is not known whether the incident was linked to the travellers’ arrival.

The travellers moved from the site, owned by Morrisons, on Tuesday (July 19) with a police escort.

A spokesman for Bolsover District Council said: “We are pleased to report that the unauthorised traveller site in Bolsover has now vacated the Sherwood Lodge and Town End car parks. We had put plans in place and were ready to serve a direction notice requesting them to leave, however they left the district (under police escort) of their own accord.

“Our Streetscene team are on site cleaning up any litter and waste left behind. We are now looking at options to secure the site to try and prevent this happening again.

A spokesman for JD Wetherspoon, Eddie Gershon, said: “The manager took the decision to close the pub in order to manage the dispersal of a group of customers who had been asked to leave but refused to do so. The pub manager was advised by the police to close the pub at 7.15pm.”