Councillor Mike Wallis, Erewash Borough Council’s lead member for culture and leisure, led the condemnation of travellers who trashed Ilkeston’s award-winning Victoria Park before leaving.
When council workmen arrived to clear up the rubbish they were appalled to find dog muck and human excrement had been smeared on equipment in the children’s play area.
Councillor Wallis said: “We share the outrage of local people who were rightly furious that travellers had set up camp on our much-loved Victoria Park and we were pleased that they left the site on Friday evening after we served them with a 24-hour notice to leave.
“We are absolutely disgusted at the filthy state the site was left in and it is difficult to find strong enough words to express our revulsion.
“Using a children’s play area as a toilet and smearing human and animal mess all over play equipment is vile and disgraceful behaviour.”
The first of the travellers parked on the cricket square on the rec. on Thursday, then moved to Victoria Park where they were joined by other caravanners.
A member of the public who lived close by helped the workmen in their cleaning up task by supplying them with bleach. She said: “I’m appalled. Kids could have gone on those rides.”
