An Angus woman has launched a campaign at Holyrood to protect gypsy travellers from discrimination.
Lynne Tammi is urging MSPs to ask the Scottish Government to remove an ancient law from guidelines for councils on the management of so-called halt sites.
She claims local authorities and the police use the Trespass (Scotland) Act 1865 to move travellers on from fields and laybys despite the fact the “settled” community is allowed to participate in so-called “wild camping” under the Land Reform Act.
Ms Tammi, of Ogilvie Terrace, Ferryden, near Montrose, who lodged the petition on behalf of the Young Gypsy/Travellers' Lives Project, says the current arrangements are unfair.
She added: “The Land Reform Act opened up the idea of wild camping but the Trespass Scotland Act is being used by the local authorities and police to move on gypsy travellers, particularly during the summer months.
“The travelling community is aggrieved because it is an issue of equity, the law has to be there for everyone. In the first instance we want the legislation removed from the guidelines and will campaign for it to be scrapped in the future.”
Ms Tammi said there are around 20,000 gypsy travellers in Scotland.
The guidelines to help local authorities and police crack down on unauthorised camps were published by the Scottish Executive in 2004.
A Scottish Government report released in September showed that designated camping sites have been provided by Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Highland and Perth and Kinross councils.
Some groups of travellers are often criticised by the settled community for setting up unauthorised camps and leaving behind a trail of mess when they leave.
It emerged on Monday that travellers have set up an illicit camp by a road south of the Port Elphinstone area, near Inverurie. Inverurie and District councillor Bryan Stuart, who was contacted by residents, said there were not enough suitable sites for travellers in the region.
Aberdeenshire Council is required to provide space for travellers’ sites in its local plan, a framework for development until 2023.
Last month the Rev Hugh Wallace, of Newhills Church in the Bucksburn area of Aberdeen, complained about the mess left behind by a group of travellers who set up a camp in the car park.
A group of travellers has set up camp at Riverview Drive in Dyce - months after Aberdeen City Council was forced to seek an eviction order at the site.
In September last year the council was forced to clean up after a group spent months at the same site. Yesterday, five caravans were at the site and residents are complaining about them already.
A spokesman for the travellers at the site said they were not planning on staying for long and that they had nowhere else to go.
The Scottish Parliament’s public petitions committee is expected to discuss the petition on April 20.