Travellers say they'll be left on the streets as council starts evicting them from site after firearms, drugs and stolen goods were found

Travellers say they'll be 'left on the streets' after the council started action to evict them from a caravan site where they've lived for 20 years.

Bolton Council began the process to close down Crompton Lodge in Bolton, Lancashire, yesterday in response to 'escalating violence and criminality'.

But travellers facing eviction say they are 'fighting for their babies' home'.

Kathleen Moloney moved into Crompton Lodge in 2004 and fears she'll be 'left on the streets' - along with her six children, aged 21, 17, 12, 11, eight, six, and her elderly uncle.

Kathleen says seven families - approximately 40 people - face losing their homes at the site, some of whom have lived there for two decades.

The full-time mother said: 'I've been at that site for 20 years - my four babies were born there, and now they want to shut the place down.

'It's about our human rights - we're just being cut off.

'We're going to have to live on the streets. We've got to fight for this place because it's our home - all our babies are here.

'It's not just about plots and static homes - it's about the women and kids having to leave their homes.

'My eldest has a heart condition - having to deal with all of this is the last thing I need.'

Bolton Council submitted an application to close the site down yesterday after years of residents 'causing nuisance', it claims.

A statement on its website alleges: 'Incidents involving drugs, serious violent crime and firearms mean the site is no longer safe for residents, including families and young children, visiting council staff or other agencies.

'In the last six months there has been an escalation in the level of violence and criminality, culminating in a serious attack on a council liaison officer.

'Last month, a police investigation into the illegal abstraction of electricity resulted in council staff being escorted onto site to make the area safe for residents.

'Significant vandalism to the Crompton Lodge site office has meant it is no longer possible for council staff to maintain a permanent presence in the area.

'Repeated damage to onsite cameras means ongoing repairs or replacement of the CCTV system is no longer viable.

'Toilet blocks on vacant pitches have also been broken into and used to store stolen items, drugs and firearms.

'Stolen vehicles and high value plant equipment have also been found on the site.'

But Kathleen says innocent members of the traveller community shouldn't be made to suffer.

'They're saying there's been crime on the site,' she added.

'It feels like they're saying there's crime in our community. But it can't be true - if there were guns on our home address, why wasn't it closed down years ago.

'Why weren't social services taking our kids?'

The council has applied for a closure order at Manchester Magistrates' Court, and work to remove anyone onsite without a tenancy began yesterday.

Tenants of Crompton Lodge say they were served with letters, saying the council is satisfied the site is causing nuisance to members of the public, as well as nearby residents, the wider Bolton area and the traveller community.

And the council says those with tenancy agreements will be provided with full support and guidance throughout the closure process.

Kathleen says eviction notices were placed on caravans around the site yesterday.

This led to a handful of residents demonstrating against the closure.

It is understood that residents have been offered alternative accommodation.

A Bolton Council spokesperson said: 'As a council, we fully recognise our statutory duty to make provisions for the traveller community.

'However, we have now reached a point where it is no longer possible to safely maintain and run this site, despite a number of joint interventions over many years.

'Due to repeated hostility, council employees and contractors are unable to visit without a police escort, and this is no longer sustainable.

'We are now seeking a closure order for Crompton Lodge, including for those that are legally tenanted to live there, so we can regain control of the site and make it safe and secure for the local community.'

Chief Superintendent Stephanie Parker, Bolton District Commander, added: 'The local community have been subject to unacceptable levels of crime and violence linked to this site, which has significantly escalated in recent months.

'The action taken today is to safeguard our communities and seek to reduce repeat demand on our local neighbourhood officers who have spent hundreds of hours in this area responding to serious incidents.

'Our top priority is to protect members of the public including the Travellers, residents, local authority officers, and our own police officers, and we will always seek to use all relevant powers available to do so.

'We continue to work closely with colleagues at Bolton Council and local charity organisations to ensure residents of the site receive the relevant information and support.'