Nature reserve fenced to stop travellers

REPAIRS have been made to fencing around a nature reserve to stop travellers camping illegally on the internationally-important site.

Clean-up work is still taking place at the 58-acre Landguard reserve at Felixstowe following the most recent stay by two families in large caravans plus works vans and cars.

Landguard ranger Malte Iden has been clearing away rubbish left by the group, including litter, black sacks of household waste, and parts of trees, shrubs and hedges from landscaping work they had been carrying out in the area.

Repairs have also been necessary to rabbit grazing enclosures where fencing had been ripped off posts, and a spot on a ridge had been used as a toilet and has had to be cleaned and sanitised.

Mr Iden said now that the fencing along Viewpoint Road – which leads to Landguard Fort – been repaired there was no way vehicles could drive onto the reserve without causing criminal damage, for which they could be prosecuted.

The travellers left the reserve, home to some of Britain's rarest plants and a national Site of Special Scientific Interest, of their own accord before Suffolk Coastal council could complete action to evict them.

During their two-week stay they did leave the site once to make a fresh camp at Thurmans Lane, Trimley St Mary – but returned to Landguard the next day, complaining that local youths had driven them off the Trimley land.

It was the first time travellers had camped on a nature reserve in the district.

The council has taken measures to prevent travellers camping on open land in Felixstowe – with height barriers, ditches, fencing and earth mounds used to prevent vehicles getting on to play areas, sports fields and recreational land.

Landguard Nature Reserve is home to more than 375 different species of plants and one-third of all British grasses grow there.

Rare plants include sea pea and kales, the yellowhorned poppy, and the rare stinking goosefoot, which grows in only three places in England.