Death threats made to travellers in Brighton and Hove

Death threats to travellers have been handed to Sussex Police for investigation.

Brighton and Hove City Council said that its staff had received a growing number of racist and threatening emails and phone calls.

The council said that some emails talked about the “final solution”, putting travellers up against a wall and shooting them as well as encouraging “ethnic cleansing”.

Some of the emails were sent to the council’s Traveller Liaison Team which deals with unauthorised camps, liaises with neighbours and gives advice to landowners.

The team also tries to ensure that travellers and their families have access to health care and schools as and when appropriate.

It has handed over about a dozen emails to the police.

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “Police have received information from the council and are considering appropriate action.”

Councillor Pete West, the council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “Racism against travellers is as unacceptable as it is against any other minority group.

“Council officers have been receiving increasing amounts of racist and hate calls and emails about travellers and this is completely unacceptable and deeply worrying.

“We’re working hard to find the right balance between the settled and travelling community in this city and have adopted a firm but fair policy that aims to quickly stop the minority of travellers who carry out anti-social behaviour as well as the impact of unauthorised encampments.

“A key plank of our traveller strategy is to create a permanent travellers site and there is a need for this as many travellers live in the city year round and there just is not enough pitches for them.

“This process has been ongoing for some time but we hope to have a shortlist by the end of the year and a permanent site within two years.

“Next week we are opening up this debate with residents by publishing our traveller consultation and we hope that everyone will contribute to that because we do not have all the answers – these can only come from residents and travellers themselves.”