gypsy and traveller legislation

The policing bill will criminalise Gypsy and Traveller families – there is a better approach

Lecturer in Sociology, Birmingham City University

Reader in Urban Studies, University of Sheffield

Disclosure statement

Whilst completing this research, Sam received funding from The Leverhulme Trust.

Ryan Powell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sheffield provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

Birmingham City University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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The policing bill making its way through UK parliament has sparked controversy over its draconian proposals to expand police powers and curb protests . The bill will also have a detrimental impact on Gypsy and Traveller families with the criminalisation of trespass.

In its current form, part four of the bill changes the act of trespassing from a civil to a criminal offence and introduces additional powers for police to deal with roadside camps. This means that people who live on roadside camps could face time in prison, a fine of £2,500 or have their home taken away from them. This will have profound consequences for Gypsy and Traveller groups, already some of the most marginalised communities in England and Wales.

Advocates and campaign groups have called for part four to be scrapped . The Council of Europe commissioner for human rights wrote to MPs and members of the House of Lords opposing the measures. Even the police are opposed . All argue that the main driver of unauthorised encampments is a lack of sites – people simply have no other options.

Since the 1960s, Gypsies and Travellers have been subjected to legislation aimed at controlling or eradicating nomadism and pushing the community into bricks-and-mortar housing. Yet no government has ever gone as far as the policing bill in so explicitly seeking to make nomadic practices illegal. It marks a pivotal moment in the longer-term erosion of the Gypsy-Traveller right to nomadism .

The criminalisation of trespass will affect several “unfixed” groups, such as squatters, activists and rough sleepers. However, our research shows that this bill explicitly targets Gypsies and Travellers using racist stereotypes. We analysed the government’s consultation process, which has been used as evidence in parliamentary debates to support the criminalisation of trespass.

The consultation frames Gypsies and Travellers themselves as the problem from the outset. Encampments are equated with stereotypes of crime and antisocial behaviour. As well as leading respondents through assumption loaded questions, the consultation selectively prioritises racist responses from anonymous individuals. More informed submissions from the police, charities and those engaged daily with Gypsies and Travellers are largely ignored.

Gypsies and Travellers are presented primarily as a threat to property that trumps any right to travel. There is no consideration of the reality of decades of underprovision of sites driving unauthorised encampments, nor of anti-Gypsy and Traveller racism as a key barrier to new site development. Tellingly, the consultation response states that criminalisation could be “positive in the long term” by dissuading people from “choosing a travelling lifestyle, to the benefit of children”.

A better solution

Criminalisation makes little sense. It will invariably lead to increased conflict, vilification, homelessness and costly eviction procedures. But there is a proven and cost-effective alternative that can foster a better relationship between nomadic Gypsies and Travellers and their temporary neighbours.

“Negotiated stopping” involves an agreement between roadside families, neighbours and the local authority around acceptable use of a space and length of stay (usually around 28 days). In return, the local authority provides the same infrastructure they would for any citizens, such as sewerage (portaloos), wheelie bins and water access where possible.

The approach was pioneered in Leeds by Gypsy and Traveller organisation Leeds Gate . It is producing estimated savings of around £200,000 per year for the local authority and police force combined. Similar initiatives are being developed by Gypsy and Traveller groups and local authorities in London and other parts of the UK.

In avoiding costly and confrontational evictions, this approach has seen relations with police, local authorities and neighbours improve. Providing basic amenities eases tension around encampments related to rubbish and waste, which make up the vast majority of complaints. Meanwhile, families can stay put for long enough to access education, healthcare and work, directly improving their quality of life. These are not radical suggestions, nor are they costly to implement.

Criminalising trespass will only reinforce longstanding stereotypes of Gypsies and Travellers as threatening “outsiders”. Negotiated stopping offers a far more effective, inclusive and less burdensome response than costly eviction-first approaches.

A 2019 high court ruling against eviction injunctions stated, “simply pushing families out of one area into another is not a solution”. As Leeds Gate argues, the government needs to acknowledge that families have the right to travel, evictions are harmful and far better solutions are already delivering results.

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The UK High Court ruled that provisions of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (Police Act 2022) are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday and that use of the powers was “capable of significant intrusion on the lives” of Gypsies and travellers.

The judge stated that certain amendments to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (CJPO) introduced by the Police Act 2022 were in breach of Article 14 of the ECHR , read alongside Article 8 of the right to privacy and a family life. Article 14 requires that rights be secured “without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.”

The Police Act 2022 gave police powers to ban Gypsies and travellers from certain areas for up to 12 months, alongside additional powers to arrest and imprison people living on roadside camps, impose fines and seize their homes. The proposals were met with condemnation from human rights groups at the time, with rights group Liberty warning that they would “expose already marginalised communities to profiling and disproportionate police powers through the expansion of stop and search, and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities may face increased police enforcement through the criminalisation of trespass.”

The claimant, Wendy Smith, argued that the 12-month no-return provision “places a disproportionate burden on Gypsies. It expands the scope of the criminal penalties and at the same time makes it more difficult to comply with the law.” Justice Swift agreed and found that the extension of the power to ban from 3 to 12 months discriminated against Gypsy and traveller communities.

The claimant had also contended that the amendments to the CJPO amounted to race discrimination but this assertion was not wholly upheld, with the judge remarking that the “claim succeeds but only so far as concerns the submission on the duration of the no-return periods. The remaining part of the [c]laimant’s claim fails.” The court decided that the appropriate course was to issue a declaration of incompatibility under section 4 of the Human Rights Act 1998 . This means that Parliament will have to decide if the law should be amended to make it compatible with the ECHR.

Marc Willers KC, lead counsel for the claimant, and barrister at Garden Court Chambers said:

This is a hugely significant judgment. In granting the declaration of incompatibility, the [c]ourt recognised that there is a lack of lawful stopping places for Gypsies and [t]ravellers and that unless the government increases provision, the law as currently drafted will amount to unjustified race discrimination.

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New anti-Traveller laws set to criminalise nomadic way of life

The Government has announced new laws that will make trespass with vehicles a criminal offence – in a move that has caused fury among Gypsy and Traveller campaigners.

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said yesterday, that the new laws will target trespassers “who intend to reside on any private or public land in vehicles without permission, and where they are causing significant disruption, distress or harm to local communities.”

“This new offence will enable the police to fine or arrest those residing without permission on private or public land in vehicles in order to stop significant disruption, distress or harm being caused to the law-abiding majority,” she added.

The new law also gives the police the powers to seize and impound vehicles whose owners fail to comply with the new law and who refuse – or can’t – leave.

Gypsy and Traveller campaigners reacted with fury saying that the new laws were racist.

“You are criminalising a problem that has been created by the failings of a political will to deliver appropriate accommodation,” said Joseph P Jones from the Gypsy Council, in a Facebook comment left on Priti Patel’s Facebook page .

Joseph P Jones also pointed out that to get planning permission to develop their own permanent legal Traveller site, Gypsies and Travellers have to obtain ‘gypsy status’ , the only requirement of which is to prove that they are – and will - continue to travel.

“Travellers are told they have to prove they travel to gain planning permission for their own private sites,” he added.

“But locally, Councils refuse to provide public sites. Well, racism is alive and well in the Home Office. Through political failure. Be proud of your right-wing achievement.”

The Government say that the new offence of criminal trespass will target:

• A person aged 18 or over resides or intends to reside on land without consent of the occupier of the land;
• They have, or intend to have, at least one vehicle with them on the land;
• They have caused or are likely to cause significant damage, disruption or distress;
• Fail to leave the land and remove their property following a request to do so by an occupier of the land, their representative or a constable; or
• Enter or, having left, re-enter the land with an intention of residing there without the consent of the occupier of the land, and with an intention to have at least one vehicle with them, within 12 months of a request to leave and remove their property from an occupier of the land, their representative or a constable.
• Reasonable suspicion that a person has committed this offence confers power on a constable to seize their vehicle/other property for up to three months from the date of seizure or, if criminal proceedings are commenced, until the conclusion of those proceedings.

The new law will affect England and Wales - but not Scotland.

Responding to the news, Abbie Kirkby, Public Affairs and Policy Manager at Friends, Families and Travellers  said :

“The Government seems hell bent on introducing tougher police powers for people living on roadside camps, even though all the evidence is stacking up against them – in their own consultation it is clear that most respondents don’t want tougher powers. The views of the majority of consultation respondents have been ignored, opening the door to a harsh and unfair set of proposals which punish some of the UK’s minority ethnic groups, who already face some of the starkest inequalities.

Our research shows that the majority of police respondents are against the proposals and also that there is a chronic national shortage of places to stop. The Government should not imprison people, fine them and remove their homes for the ‘crime’ of having nowhere to go. Another way is possible. Through negotiated stopping and by identifying land where Traveller sites can be built, councils can ensure nomadic families have a safe place to stop, save money on evictions and improve relations between travelling and settled communities. Everybody needs a place to live.”

Responding to the proposals, Jenny, a Romany Gypsy, said:

“My daughter is trying to get a pitch, but loads of families trying, she’s feeling depressed. Her and her partner don’t know where they’re going to go. It’s not right to criminalise us all. We don’t leave any rubbish, we respect the other residents, we clean up after ourselves, but we’re going to be stopped from travelling. There aren’t enough sites for Travellers. We’re being treated like animals. They’re always building more houses but no more sites. She can’t get a site, she can’t stop on the road. She’s tearful, she’s crying a lot. She just wants to settle down and make a life for herself like anyone else.”

TT EDITORIAL

The laws are pretty much what campaigners were fearing and what was promised in the Conservative manifesto at the last election - the criminalisation of trespass with vehicles.

By focussing on vehicles the Government has side-stepped opposition from ramblers and homeless charities. However that makes the new laws easier to challenge under equalities laws as Romany Gypsies and Irish and Scottish Travellers are protected ethnic groups. We understand that lawyers are already geared up to challenge the new laws.

The surprise is that the number of vehicles needed to trigger the new laws has dropped from the promised two to one. This then brings lots of the new single vehicle 'van-lifers' parking up on private or public land within the scope of the new law.

On the face of it, the new laws are only triggered if the senior police officer attending the camp believes that the camp "has caused or are likely to cause significant damage, disruption or distress."

However, "likely to cause" is open to wide interpretations and the powers, and the resulting seizure of vehicles if the camp refuses to disband, will be reliant on the whims and prejudices of the police officers present - and some police officers are more racist than others...

Mike Doherty/TT News

(Main picture: Stock image from Stow Fair (c) Natasha Quarmby)

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The gypsy and traveller way of life is being legislated out of existence.

Good Law Project is a non-profit campaign organisation that uses the law for a better world.

We know that the law, in the right hands, can be a fair and decent force for good. It is a practical tool for positive change and can make amazing things happen.

Gypsy and Traveller groups are some of the most marginalised people in the UK. They face systemic prejudice and discrimination that pervades their children’s education, their family’s medical care and their community’s traditional nomadic lifestyle.

Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee found that Gypsy and Traveller communities experience, “the worst outcomes of any ethnic group across a huge range of areas, including education, health, employment, criminal justice and hate crime.”

And in a 2017 survey of Gypsy and Traveller groups in the UK, 91 percent reported experiencing discrimination and 77 percent reported experiencing hate speech or hate crimes.

In recent years, a raft of new legislation, including in particular the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, has sought to attack or limit the Gypsy and Traveller way of life.

Faced with this worsening situation, we commissioned Helen Mountfield QC (of Matrix Chambers) and Marc Willers QC, Tessa Buchanan and Owen Greenhall (of Garden Court Chambers) to survey the legal landscape for Gypsy and Traveller groups, and ask whether it complies with the UK’s legal obligations.

The Opinion is essential reading for anyone who believes that there should be no ‘ acceptable racisms ’ left in our society, and that the law should give every group the same opportunities to live and thrive. It can be read here .

It focuses on two pillars of Gypsy and Traveller life: their continuing nomadism and their choice to live in caravans. Decades of policy decisions have created a shortage of authorised public caravan sites and increased barriers to obtaining planning permission for private sites.

This is Counsels’ damning summary of the current state of affairs:

“The UK Government’s current approach, in policy and national law, places the UK in breach of obligations which it has undertaken as a matter of international law to facilitate the Gypsy and Traveller way of life and to refrain from discriminating against disabled people, the elderly or women. The practical effect of the combination of circumstances and law described in this Opinion is such that they currently make this traditional way of life almost impossible to pursue.”

It is clear that a traditional nomadic way of life has been all but legislated out of existence. And this is a view echoed by Gypsy and Traveller communities:

“Members of Romany Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities have long expressed their significant fear and anxiety over the barbaric Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, and of their treatment at the hands of the State more broadly. We share their deep concern with the raft of reactionary legislation that will disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people in society. As these provisions come into place it is vital for organisations and individuals to stand in solidarity with marginalised groups.” – The Traveller Movement

Good Law Project only exists thanks to donations from people across the UK. If you’re in a position to support our work, you can do so here .

You can learn more about the work of the Traveller Movement here .

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Gypsy, Roma and Travellers suffer ‘persistent’ discrimination in UK

Council of Europe finds ‘shocking’ levels of bullying in education system and threats to legal status and rights

There is “troublingly persistent” levels of discrimination against Gypsy, Roma and Travellers (GRT) in the UK, an expert group from Europe’s leading human rights body has found.

The Council of Europe committee said the GRT community suffer “shocking” amounts of bullying in the education system, prejudiced reporting in the media and threats to their legal status and rights, including as a result of recent legislative changes.

In an opinion, published on Thursday, it says: “The definition of ‘Gypsy’ for planning purposes excludes those who have permanently ceased travelling. This means that ethnic Gypsy and Travellers may be denied their status as a ‘Gypsy’ [sic].

“There is also a systematic shortage of sites resulting either from local authority unwillingness, opposition from local residents, and this new definition reducing the number of sites required in needs assessments.

“Moreover, the authorities have criminalised trespass with a vehicle in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (PCSCA). This act appears to the minority as a criminalisation of the option of last resort of Gypsies and Travellers in England, and it is difficult for the minority itself to discern the difference between that and forced assimilation. The fear this act has sparked among the minority is profound.”

As well as the PCSCA, the advisory committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities says other legislative changes and proposals raised concerns including the Nationality and Borders Act, which allows for citizenship to be stripped without notice , and threats to the Human Rights Act .

The committee also noted strong increases in hate crime targeting other minorities, “notably the Jewish and Muslim communities”, and called for greater support for linguistic minorities including Cornish.

Its recommendations included Cornish being on the national curriculum and adequate funding being made available to Cornish organisations providing minority language education, teacher training or developing educational materials in the language.

It also said there should be a comprehensive strategy for England and Northern Ireland to tackle “antigypsyism” to “combat the widely held prejudices against this minority”.

The committee said the pandemic, rising costs of living and the political climate – including the use of “human rights for party-political ends” – had seriously affected societal cohesion and human rights. But it praised targeted support for minorities in the Covid-19 vaccination drive, based on mortality inequalities .

The UK – a founder member of the Council of Europe , which oversees the European court of human rights – ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities which is legally binding under international law, in 1998. The last UK opinion was published in 2017.

The government has been approached for comment.

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New national strategy to tackle Gypsy, Roma and Traveller inequalities

Communities Minister Lord Bourne launches a national strategy to tackle entrenched inequality and improve the lives of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Communities Minister Lord Bourne has today (6 June 2019) launched a national strategy to tackle entrenched inequality and improve the lives of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is to lead the national strategy, working with several government departments and the Cabinet Office Race Disparity Unit to improve outcomes in areas including health, education and employment.

Communities Minister Lord Bourne said:

We recognise that members of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities continue to face some of the steepest challenges in society. Despite ongoing government work in this area, it’s clear that more needs to be done. Health, education and housing inequalities are considerable, and we know that that there are disproportionate levels of violence experienced by some women and girls within  Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. To bridge these divides and tackle these vital issues, we are launching an ambitious programme of work, to be undertaken across government, which will aim to tackle the serious disparities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

The announcement comes as communities across the country celebrate the start of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month and will build on the government’s ongoing work to support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

In order to address the serious disparities highlighted by the Race Disparity Audit , the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has provided £200,000 of funding between 6 projects aiming to improve outcomes for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in the areas of educational attainment, health and social integration.

The department has also funded 22 projects which support Roma communities across England through the Controlling Migration Fund.

In addition, the department has provided funding to 2 projects to improve the reporting of hate crime by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

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About the author

Marc Willers QC and Chris Johnson reflect on the key battles to protect the rights of Gypsy and Traveller communities over the past 20 years and...

The past year’s policy and legislative developments, and publications.

Marc Willers QC, Tessa Buchanan and Chris Johnson report on a Court of Appeal case in which the right of Gypsies and Travellers to travel was upheld.

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Local development plans – defining Gypsies and Travellers: consultation

A consultation on a proposed definition of ‘Gypsies and Travellers’ for the purpose of local development plan regulations on evidence reports.

Introduction

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for all of Scotland's Gypsy/Travellers, a particularly marginalised group. This consultation seeks views on a definition of 'Gypsies and Travellers' for the specific purposes of section 16B of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 ("the 1997 Act").

Local Development Plans ( LDPs ) set out how places should change into the future; where development should and should not happen. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced a new stage in the preparation of LDPs - an evidence report. Under section 16B of the 1997 Act, planning authorities are required to produce an evidence report which, among other things, contains;

• a summary of action taken by planning authorities to meet accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers, and
• a statement on the steps taken by the planning authority in preparing the report to seek the views of Gypsies and Travellers.

The purpose of defining "Gypsies and Travellers" in regulations is to enable the Scottish Government and planning authorities to support the Gypsy and Traveller communities better. The Scottish Ministers will make regulations to specify the meaning of Gypsies and Travellers for the purpose of evidence reports. This consultation will help shape the definition to go into regulations. This definition will only relate to the requirements of 16B of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

We previously set out a 10 point action plan published on gov.scot that aims to improve the involvement of Gypsy/Travellers in the planning system.

By having a strong national and local planning framework based on community participation, we can help to eliminate discrimination and encourage equality for all. The Scottish Government wants to ensure planning authorities properly involve the Gypsy and Traveller communities in planning the future of their places. Participation in this consultation can enable a stronger working relationship between Gypsies and travellers and the planning system, allowing their housing needs to be better fulfilled and uplifting the voice of their community.

This paper presents a suggested definition for the purposes of consultation. To inform this consultation's audience, this paper also presents background research and existing definitions in the UK .

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Working with Gypsy and Traveller communities: tips for positive practice

Advice from a community care inform guide on how social workers can positively engage with gypsy and traveller communities.

The guide is written and updated by Friends, Families and Travellers , a national charity that works on behalf of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers.

Subscribers can access the full content on Inform Adults and Inform Children .

There are a number of different groups who fall under the title of Gypsies and Travellers, including:

• Roma, Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers, Scottish Gypsies and Travellers (who are all recognised as ethnic minority groups and therefore protected against race discrimination under the Equality Act 2010);
• Welsh Gypsies and Travellers;
• New Travellers;
• Bargees and other liveaboard boaters;
• Travelling Showmen.

While members of each specific community may share some common experiences, every person is individual. There can be no replacement for listening to each individual and/or family about their own values and experiences.

Overcoming fear from families about social workers

Social services are rarely seen by Gypsy and Traveller parents as a resource for support. As a way of dealing with social services intervention, families may feel that the best thing to do is to pull away. This can then be interpreted by social workers as them being evasive and unwilling to co-operate.

This means that it may be necessary to spend extra time building up trust with Gypsy and Traveller families. You may find it helpful to encourage them to appoint an independent advocate, perhaps from a Gypsy or Traveller organisation, or a family friend whom the person you are working with trusts. This will make it clear that you understand the vulnerable position they are in and are willing to find ways to support them.

Practice tips

• Learn more about Gypsy and Traveller culture When working with Gypsy and Traveller families, take the time to learn the facts about their cultures, values and traditions from unbiased and fair sources. Media depictions are often negative and unrepresentative, so ask the family you are working with or a Gypsy and Traveller organisation to help you learn more. By showing willingness to proactively engage with Gypsy and Traveller cultures, you will improve your communication with families and also learn how you can provide the appropriate forms of support.
• Ensure you communicate in the best way for the family Only 56.8% of Gypsies and Travellers who responded to the 2021 Census reported having any formal qualifications. This may mean that literacy could be an issue for some parents you support and that information in written form may be difficult to understand. While it might be standard practice for you to deliver information in written form, it is important that this is backed up with a verbal explanation and an opportunity to ask questions. Difficulties around literacy may be embarrassing for some parents, who may already feel their capabilities are being called into question by the fact they are going through the child protection process. So, instead of asking, “Can you read?”, you could say, “Would you like some help reading this?”
• Make efforts to engage in cross-boundary collaborations As nomadism is an important part of Gypsy and Traveller cultures, it is likely that some families that you are working with will want to travel. This is something you should discuss at an early stage and when planning support. Travelling has an important economic and social function for many families. Some will have patterns of nomadism and will have a good idea of where they will be travelling to and when. If this is the case, it is important to make contact with social workers in that area and agree a collaborative approach to supporting the family. If this is not the case, open communication and agreement with the family may be necessary.
• Challenge discrimination against Gypsies and Travellers at every opportunity Prejudice and discrimination against Gypsies and Travellers is common and can often go unchallenged, even in professional contexts. Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers and Scottish Gypsies and Travellers are defined as ethnic groups and protected from discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. So, not only do professionals have a moral imperative, but they also have a legal one not to discriminate against them. Also, under the public sector equality duty (section 149 of the Equality Act), councils must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination in the exercise of their functions. As a result of fear of discrimination or bias, some Gypsies and Travellers may, for example, feel more comfortable choosing their own psychologist for psychological assessments and opt for a lawyer who is not local during court proceedings, and they should be encouraged to do this.

A history of suspicion and mistrust has often marked the relationship between Gypsy and Traveller families and social workers. The only way this can be overcome in practice is by building trusting relationships between the two.

This cannot be achieved overnight, but it is essential that Gypsy and Traveller families and children feel that their culture and ways of life are approached in a positive way by social workers.

Subscribers can access the full guide on Inform Adults and Inform Children .

What to read next

• Tips for keeping assessment processes strengths-focused
• How to communicate with people who are deafblind
• Tips for coping with difficult conversations

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I’m a traveller & mum-of-6 – my caravan’s been shot at but I feel caged living in a house, I’d rather be in Asda carpark

• Yasmin Harisha , Feature writer
• Published : 10:38, 20 May 2024
• Published : Invalid Date,

A TRAVELLER has revealed what her life was like growing up within the community. 

Sabrina Stewart has travelled around the country for most of her life - sleeping in campsites, Asda car parks, and even on the site of Chester Zoo. 

And although she has even been shot at whilst living in her caravan, she loves the life on the road.

The mother-of-six now campaigns for a better future for gypsies and travellers who live in the UK, and has even worked with several different charities to help the cause. 

Talking to On The Road Podcast, she says: “I’ve gone to too many camps to tell you.

“I’m a mother of six children who I love very dearly, they are my life and what I want to do is to hopefully make a better future for them growing up in this world - because it’s looking quite bleak for our community to be honest.”

Sabrina Stewart, who is a Scottish Traveller, is a trained nurse, activist, and also works alongside the GRTPA (Gypsy, Roma , Traveller Police Association). 

On the podcast, she claimed that the police are “one of the biggest issues that the community has problems with” and revealed how she has been targeted by them growing up.

She says: “My personal interactions with the police, as a child, teenager, young woman, mother has always been negative.

“Not because I was a jailbird or I was always getting into trouble far from it, but because the only time we have ever seen police involvement in a camp was when it was something negative.”

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Sabrina, who has previously been a guest speaker in Parliament, carries the voice of a lot of roadside travellers.

She says: “I do talks about domestic violence and abuse, and I’ve always had an interest in the law. 

“I was hoping to do a changeover from my degree in nursing to Barrister, which I will do when my youngest is a bit older.”

Sabrina continues: “Being a traveller now is so stressful. 

“Because if you don’t travel, then according to the law you’re not a traveller, if you do travel you’re breaking the law so it’s catch 22. 

“You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t. 

“Personally, I think things have gotten a lot worse for travellers on the road. 

“I think it is a good thing that sites are being built. 

Being a traveller now is so stressful Sabrina Stewart

“I think it is good that the council has realised that we do need them for those that want to settle down. 

“But for those that want to travel I think things have got a hell of a lot worse with these blanket injunctions.”

Growing up and raising her children as travellers has meant that Sabrina has been targeted. 

She explained that when she was living in Northern Scotland “years ago,” Sabrina and her family had camp on a camp site and claimed a “sniper shot through the trailer windows.” 

Differences bettwen a gypsy and a traveller

Typically, Gypsies is a term used to describe Romani people, who migrated to Europe from India. 

Meanwhile, traveller refers to a group of people who usually have either Irish, Scottish or English heritage. 

While many English gypsy girls are allowed to drink alcohol and go on holiday with their friends before they get married, many Irish traveller girls are not allowed to do this.

Generally, both gypsies and travellers will share a similar moral code.

She adds: “That petrified me. And for years I would never go back.”

Sabrina has also experienced discrimination where she has been refused to go to the toilet in coffee shops and supermarkets, whilst also having schools decline her daughters' places. 

She says: “I am discriminated against on a daily basis.

“There are knock-on effects from all of this.”

Sabrina has also lived in a house, but found that it affected her mental health - making her feel "caged".

She says, although it “sounds ridiculous,” she felt like she was losing herself and “isolated from the community.” 

Sabrina says: “In order for me to stay here (in a house), I was going to have to change who I am.”

Sabrina prefers the freedom of travelling, and knows that she can go and live in new places around the country and experience new ways of living easily. 

I think it is good that the council has realised that we do need them for those that want to settle down Sabrina Stewart

She says: “I like to know my home is wherever I want it to be. 

"I can hook my trailer on and within 10 minutes, I’ve moved. It’s freedom.

"It’s the sense that I’m going to this new place, and I’m going to meet new people and I'm going to have good experiences and bad experiences. 

“But I’m going to have experiences for the next 20 years of my life. 

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“I’m not going to have the same route to work, or the same route to the shop, I’m going to see different routes and different people.

"I am going to live.”

• Children parenting and family life
• Cost of living
• Mental Health and illness