Travellers are in park legally, says councillor

Several posts have been published on Facebook in recent weeks, some asking why the travellers’ children were allowed to use the playpark even though theirs were not due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Mr Edgar said: “We are instructed by the Scottish Government to provide a service – such as electricity, running water, toilets and showers – for the travellers during Covid-19 because they really are at risk.

“What the Scottish Government was trying to do was pin them down in one place.

“It’s a bit like herding cats, you can’t pin them down.

“If they want to go, they will pick up and go. It’s happened several times.

“There are six families there at the moment, and we have room for one more. They seem to have settled at the moment.

“The government is paying for it, not the council.”

Mr Edgar went on to say that some of the families are planning on moving on to St Boswells’ green this weekend for the annual fair there as it is still going ahead.

He added: “Three of the families came from Eyemouth. They were moved on from there as they were getting some problems.

“They may depart for the fair and go back down to Eyemouth after it, but there should be four left and they may be here for some time.

“There is a legal requirement to protect everybody, and this is one way we can protect them and communities.”