A WINSFORD headteacher is furious after his school yard was used as a drive through by gypsies trying to make camp on borough council land.

Five caravans drove through Woodford Lodge High School's car park, and over a footpath used by children, to reach an enclosed field on Woodford Lane West, owned by Vale Royal Borough Council.

Headteacher Stephen Meeks was so angry he had a bollard erected in the opening where the field and the school grounds meet to prevent the gypsies re-entering.

But the problems were only just beginning.

The caravans camped on a footpath used by pupils who walk to school, forcing them to use an alternative route, via a busy main road.

To make matters worse the gypsies used the school's fences as a washing line, hanging out clothes and rugs to dry.

Household waste was poured over fences into the school grounds, and old television sets were found smashed in the field, posing a potential hazard to Woodford Lodge students, though gypsies at the scene denied littering the area.

Mr Meeks explained that when the gypsies first made camp he had been concerned about possible friction between the campers and pupils.

His fears were realised when several verbal clashes occurred between Woodford Lodge students and the caravan dwellers.

"There has been a lot of name calling from the gypsies and from pupils, which is unfortunate but can only be expected when they park so close to a school building," Mr Meeks said.

"Some of the children themselves are frightened and their parents are obviously concerned about the situation."

Mr Meeks told of one occasion when gypsies shouted abuse at members of staff as they stood outside the school gates.

The headteacher was first aware of the presence of the gypsies on GCSE results day, when he arrived at school to find three caravans camped in the school car park.

It was after the gypsies were asked to move on by Mr Meeks that they drove into the field next to the school via a pedestrian path.

When two more caravans arrived and used the same route through the school to enter the field, Mr Meeks had a post put up to prevent the caravans re-entering Woodford Lodge High.

Vale Royal Borough Council received a County Court judgement to remove the gypsies from the land last week, but the only exit large enough for the vehicles to pass through had been blocked by the newly erected bollard.

A passage large enough for the caravans was dug through the embankment which separates the field from Woodford Road West last Wednesday morning using a council JCB.

The gypsies vacated the site before the bailiff arrived to serve them with a writ to leave the field.

The gypsies have now made camp just a hundred yards from the original site, on Cheshire County Council land, where the borough council's writ cannot be enforced.

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