Aberdeenshire Council has launched eviction proceedings on a group of travellers who have camped up near a north-east school.
The group pitched up outside the £36million Ellon Academy Community Campus over the weekend, and told the P&J they were only planning to stay a few days.
On Sunday, the school’s rector Tim Mackay told parents online that police had been to the school, and had been advised by the travellers they would be gone by the morning.
But yesterday morning, the caravans remained on the site as around 1,000 youngsters made their way into school.
Now council officers have visited the site and told the travellers they will be taking legal action to move them on.
Ellon councillor Gillian Owen welcomed the news that proceedings to move them on had begun.
“I am glad that someone from the council has been to visit and that they have started the proceedings, the Ellon Community Campus is not the place for travellers to be.
“But I was happy to hear that all the children arrived at Ellon Academy in the morning without disruption.”
Mrs Owen described the problem of travellers pitching up at unauthorised spots a “vicious circle”.
She said: “The Scottish Government tells Aberdeenshire Council that we must have transit sites available, but the minute you start talking about transit sites the settled community, quite understandably, aren’t keen on the idea – making the situation very difficult.
“The whole situation really is a vicious circle and the trouble is the vicious circle doesn’t seem to be able to be stopped.”
A spokeswoman for Aberdeenshire Council said an officer visited the site yesterday morning, and that eviction proceedings had begun.
