Travellers bring commuter chaos by invading train station car park with caravans, hanging washing and letting their kids run riot – but rail bosses and police can’t move them on
- More than 20 caravans have parked up at Lea Green railway station in St Helens
- Travellers are hanging washing on railings while the kids run amok with footballs
- Several of their children have been kicked out of the local pub, the Bull and Dog
- Furious commuters trying to get to Liverpool and Manchester have been told to park their cars elsewhere
- One commuter complained he got a £50 fine while the travellers park for free
- Network Rail is powerless and says it hopes to resume normal service ‘as soon as possible’
By Stewart Whittingham For Mailonline
Published: 04:54 EDT, 7 June 2019 | Updated: 10:58 EDT, 7 June 2019
Travellers have taken over a railway station car park – doing their washing as furious commuters wait for their trains.
Up to 20 caravans belonging have parked up since Monday at the park and ride facility.
The railings have been used as washing lines as carpets and clothes are hung out to dry.
They have taken up so much space that Northern Rail have also advised customers to use another one of its stations.
This is despite the fact that there are large signs stating that the car park is ‘just for rail users’.
Travellers have taken over a car park at Green station just outside St Helens, Merseyside.- doing their washing with car mats hung over railings as furious commuters wait for their trains
Up to 20 caravans belonging to travellers have parked up since Monday at the park and ride facility just outside St Helens as one woman is seen hanging up her washing in the car park
Rail customers have complained of seeing rubbish and children’s potties at the site where the traveller families have been staying for the last five days
Rail customers have complained of seeing rubbish and children’s potties at Lea Green station just outside St Helens, Merseyside.
When the Mail Online visited children were playing football in the car park as workers and shoppers waited for trains to Liverpool, Scarborough and Warrington.
However one cheeky traveller complained that the place was a ‘hole’ and she wanted to move on.
Some commuters pointed and shook their heads as travellers women used bowls of water to wash clothes and kids as young as two played on scooters as cars tried to park.
Irene Parker, 77, said: ‘It’s disgusting seeing all these people here. They’re doing their washing and children are playing all over the place.
‘I saw a little girl run in front of a car. A height restriction barrier seems to have been broken.
The travellers have taken up so much space that Northern Rail have also advised customers to to give the Lea Green station (pictured) a miss and use another ones nearby instead
When the Mail Online visited children were playing in the car park as workers and shoppers waited for trains to Liverpool, Scarborough and Warrington
When told that rail commuters were unhappy with them being there, one cheeky traveller responded that St Helens was a ‘hole’ and that she wanted to get moved on anyway
Some commuters pointed and shook their heads as travellers women used bowls of water to wash clothes and kids as young as two played on scooters as cars tried to park
‘These are big caravans with satellite dishes – no-one can park as they have taken over lots of the bays.
‘The rail people said they can’t do anything as they’re not causing any disruption.’
A few of their children have also been thrown out of the nearby Bull and Dog pub but there has been no reports of any violence or trouble.
Salesman Matt Kerr, 34, said: ‘They’ve been here before when Tyson Fury was speaking at a pub. I think they like it as the fast trains stop here from Liverpool or they go straight to Scarborough and it’s free to park here.’
However Peter Roughley, 77, is not impressed as he got a £50 parking ticket there. He said: ‘I got a ticket as I parked across a bay.
‘So how is there no actions taken when these caravans are taking up to three bays. ‘It’s one rule for them and another for everyone else. ‘Something needs to be done about them.’
Coming out of caravan, traveller Lisa Ward was drying her hair in the afternoon sun.
The young mother said: ‘The police have been round but we haven’t done anything wrong or caused any trouble so they didn’t do anything.
‘I wish they would move us on as I don’t like it here – it’s a bit of a hole. ‘I much prefer it down south.’
Asked why they were here, the blonde woman said: ‘We’re travellers – it’s what we do. ‘We move around.’
A spokesman for Northern said: ‘We are continuing to work closely with British Transport Police to monitor the situation at Lea Green and return the car park to normal operation as soon as possible.
‘In the meantime we continue to advise customers to amend their travel plans slightly and use St Helens Junction which has parking facilities for more than 200 cars.’
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