A DEFIANT traveller who pitched up on Colchester’s park and ride with his family launched a passionate defence of his way of life.

Colchester’s park and ride has been targeted by groups of travellers twice in the past month amid calls for greater security.

Irish traveller Gavin Kissane, 24, said the group initially consisted of around 20 caravans when he arrived on Monday.

Mr Kissane, who has travelled across the UK all his life, launched a tirade against critics who suggest groups leave a mess and cause trouble.

“We’re not terrorists, we’re not criminals,” he said.

“It is just a way of life.

“We aren’t a group of career criminals and we’re not causing any problems.

“Travellers that are born travellers will always be travellers.

“I am here with my family, lots of brothers and cousins.

“You get comments from people who say that they are paying taxes for ‘these people.’

“No, no-one is paying taxes for travellers.

"‘These people’ do tree topping and car washing and pay their own taxes.

"We make our own way.

"People say travellers target the old and steal, that they steal all the time.

“With all due respect that isn’t us - don’t judge others and you will not be judged by others.

“A lot of people who make these comments and judgements on social media will have four kids with four different partners.

“Why don’t they look over their shoulder at their own lives before making comments on mine?”

He added: “I love this life. If you are able to put food on the table for your family you’re happy.”

Essex Police officers issued a Section 61 notice ordering the group to move on.

A spokesman said reports had been made of staff at the nearby service station suffering abuse.

“We were called with reports of an unauthorised traveller encampment at the Colchester Park and Ride site,” he said.

“We attended and found no criminal offences had taken place. We monitored the situation and liaised with the landowner.

“Following reports staff at the nearby service station had suffered abuse, a Section 61 notice was issued telling the encampment it needed to move on.”

Mr Kissane said he could “make life difficult” for the authorities if the correct procedures weren’t followed.

“They were asking us to move on,” he said.

“The police are part of the community and are here to protect and serve. They must let the correct procedure run its course.

“I could get 100 guys down here if I needed to make a stand, if they move us on we’ll put each caravan on a different site and make life difficult."

He added: “Every town should have a large transit site for travellers.”

The caravans had left the site by noon yesterday.

Call for action

A frustrated councillor has called for travellers to be issued with parking fines for pitching up on Colchester’s park and ride and not paying.

Martin Goss, Colchester councillor for Mile End, praised the police for taking action to move the group on but said more must be done to secure the site.

The Lib Dem councillor said: “What is frustrating is the rubbish from the last visit still hasn’t been cleared up.

“This well-used park and ride will become even more well used now there is new ticket pricing.

“What we don’t need is illegal encampment turning up, when you’ve got dogs running around and piles of rubbish lying around I feel people aren’t going to want to leave their vehicles there.

“I would have to commend the police for using the Section 61 powers properly.

“I totally agree people should always be treated equally, therefore, if people are breaking the law they should be issued with a parking fine.

“There shouldn’t be a partial interpretation of the law, either you have broken the law or you haven’t.”

An Essex County Council spokesperson said: “The group arrived on Monday evening and were visited by the Essex Countywide Traveller Unit to begin repossession proceedings.

“However the police decided to apply their emergency powers under Section 61 requesting they leave the site by this morning.

“The site is now clear.”