Last week Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price took the issues regarding the Waste deposited at Purfleet to Parliament with a debate in the House on Wednesday, followed by a visit from Justice Secretary Chris Grayling.
Jackie Doyle-Price said, "it is quite clear that there has been failure by Thurrock council and by Essex Police. Thurrock council were slow in appreciating the scale of the problem and Essex Police were even slower taking action. I wanted to show Chris just what the impact has been here because of the excessive lightness of touch in dealing with unauthorised traveller encampments even when there is clear criminal activity as on this occasion.
If we are to establish good relations between the traveller community and the settled community, we need to take action against serious criminals, or else risk damaging relations with all travellers.
Thurrock council have acknowledged that it was slow to understand the scale of the problem, but having done so Essex Police prevented officers from securing the site because of the traveller encampment and their right to access. I find this quite incredible since it was clear that a commercial operation was being run on the site.
Essex Police must be prompt and fleet of foot in dealing with these issues. If we continue to turn a blind eye, it will continue. Council taxpayers in Thurrock are faced with a bill of up to £1m and that is quite wrong.
This group is still moving around Thurrock unchallenged. I suspect that no prosecutions will arise from this disgraceful incident. How can the public have any confidence in public authorities when this is allowed to go unpunished?
Chris Grayling is committed to reform the Human Rights Act to better reflect responsibilities under the law as well as rights and I am pleased that he has confirmed that he will look at what more can be done if the law is in anyway deficient.
But I firmly believe that the law is adequate if the police just used it. let the mile long rubbish dump alongside the Thames at Purfleet be the last time that some members of the traveller community take us all for mugs."