MADAM, I read with some astonishment the rather inaccurate and childish letter from Mr Robin James of Leominster regarding the public meeting held at Leominster in relation to travellers, and the fact that I was not present at that meeting.
He makes a statement, which is totally untrue, that I was invited to such a meeting. I at no point received a telephone call, letter, fax, e-mail or verbal invitation to the meeting that he describes. He claims to have spoken to a personal assistant to Mr Tector. Mr Tector has no personal assistant or secretary and, indeed, I cannot find anyone in this council who received this invitation on my behalf. I was not invited by any of the local councillors nor the Member of Parliament. Perhaps Mr James thinks I am psychic.
As regards the reason for the public meeting, vis--vis the travellers, perhaps Mr James might inform me of the powers he thinks Herefordshire Council has in relation to their behaviour. Local authorities have only a power to provide sites for travellers and to apply to the courts to remove them from land owned by the council. We have no general powers as regards law and order, those being a civil and police matter.
I can understand the frustration many people feel in all parts of the county as regards the unacceptable behaviour of some groups of travellers, but we have to operate within the limited powers given to us by this and previous governments.
TERRY JAMES
Leader,
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