Seventy-five Travellers are resisting eviction from the Glenfrome gasworks in Eastville were they have been living for the last few weeks. 

Local residents report several hundred bailiffs and police arriving early this morning (May 20th) and closing the road to traffic before beginning efforts to enter the site. 

The Travellers resisted by using lock-on tubes and a tripod but were ultimately unsuccessful and bailiffs gained entry to the site. 

It is understood that the site, a former gasworks, is owned by Wales & West Utilities, who claim to have planning permission to develop the site, and hence need to evict the Travellers. 

Local residents have questioned the nature of the eviction, however. 

Katie, who lives near the site, said: “it’s completely over the top. The Travellers have been here, no problem at all. All the local residents don’t mind them being here.”

And Bristol Defendant Society tweeted that legal observers were being prevented from accessing the site, and that the police had brought dogs and were being “very aggressive”.

Around midday, the police were able to bring a crane onto the site to remove vehicles. Some Travellers began leaving the site at around 13:00.

The Travellers were issued an eviction notice giving them 24 hours to leave the site, which they claim is not enough and had asked for longer. 

The eviction continues.