We need to stop talking rubbish about travellers

Right, let's just stop all the pretence and tell it how it is.

The rogue Travellers that set up camp at Riverview Drive in Dyceleft a disgusting pile of filth and rubbish that taxpayers will haveto clean up.

It is that simple, that cut and dried.

So why do we have this pretence that somehow we can't say for sureit was those Travellers who made that mess? That it is somehow hardto trace them and make them pay to have their rubbish lifted.

One day there's a lovely bit of parkland. The next, several caravans are sitting on the site.

When said caravans leave there is a heap of rubbish, gas canistersand human waste.

So who did it if not the rogue Travellers? The rubbish pixies?

But our police and council authorities insist on taking thissoftly softly approach.

What do they hope to achieve by this? Who are they trying toprotect or appease?

It's not the furious people in Dyce who have contacted thispaper in utter despair at the complete lack of action on the part ofthe authorities.

And it surely can't be the genuine Travelling community who forma rich strand in our country's culture. They must be just ashorrified at their reputation being dragged through the mud by anirresponsible few.

So, basically, our council and police would appear to be bendingover backwards to accommodate people who camp illicitly, dumprubbish and foul open public spaces.

And there was me thinking the law applies to everyone equally.

Especially at a time when, quite rightly, you can't even drop atissue paper on Union Street without getting thwacked with a pounds50fine.

What's at issue here isn't the rights of the rogue Travellers,it's their responsibilities.

And those responsibilities are exactly the same as everyone else's- to follow the law or accept the consequences.

And it's up to the authorities to ensure there are consequences.If not, the whole idea of justice and equality breaks down leavingsimmering resentment in its place.