Aberdeen City Council has started legal proceedings to move a group of travellers who have parked illegally at Seaton Park.
Today, seven caravans remain parked in the car park, near the site’s Don Street entrance. It is understood they arrived on Tuesday.
The Press & Journal spoke to one of the group yesterday, who confirmed that they are Irish Travellers from Wicklow and that men from the group are currently working in the area.
As well as this, it was confirmed that they came to the city having last been in Inverness.
One woman, who did not want to be named, said she had seen a number of their work vans driving through Don Street.
Rubbish building in Seaton Park
Rubbish is now strewn round the park next to the caravan, including used nappies, although it is unclear who or where they came from.
Ivy Weatherwax, a genocide scholar who was walking at Seaton Park, said more should be done to support the Travellers community in Aberdeen.
He said: “It’s a fantastic people group and they deserve to be wherever they need to be. I’m quite familiar with the horrible things that happened to marginalised groups. The council should put out bins and put out toilets, be welcoming.”
An Aberdeen Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the unauthorised encampment situated at Seaton Park and have commenced proceedings to have them moved.”
Aberdeen has had an issue with illegal Traveller encampments in the past, with the council having to take legal action to move a group from St Fittick’s Park in Torry last June.
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