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Travellers have set up camp in the car park at Grimsby Auditorium - and they've wasted no time in putting a paddling pool out for their younger members.

A number of caravans and vans have parked up at the site only days before the Stars of Les Miserables, featuring the Barricade Boys, are set to perform.

This is the newest location chose by travellers who are visiting the area, after other camps were set up in Weelsby Woods, near Pennell’s Garden Centre, and at King George V Stadium.

The previous administration of the council was accused of “kicking the can down the road” by now-leader, Councillor Philip Jackson, because of a decision to install building security measures costing £15,000 ahead of focusing on finding a site for them to stay.

(Image: Jon Corken/Grimsby Live)

The £15,000 was used to install bollards around the King George V Stadium to stop illegal encampments on the site, which were easily removed with bolt-cutters.

Tackling illegal encampments is a top priority for the current council administration, which is aiming to provide the site in which travellers can stop.

Local authorities are legally obliged to provide a site and stopping places in the area for travellers. It was also announced as a part of North East Lincolnshire’s Local Plan.

Councillor Jackson said: “It’s totally unacceptable that these illegal encampments are set up because it upsets a lot of people.”

(Image: Jon Corken/Grimsby Live)

He has also promised that it will be resolved soon, as the issue was “top of the list of the current administration to make sure we look at finding a suitable site so we can stop these illegal encampments in the future.

“I can guarantee it won’t be another five years. We’re revisiting previous sites which were considered in some detail by officers and elected members through the scrutiny process.

“There’s some degree of urgency on this, it is a legal requirement, it’s in our local plan, we need to make progress.”

Previous consultations have been held for a designated stopover site for travellers, but all options put forward for consideration were not deemed suitable.

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