A POLITICIAN has pressed the UK Government at the House of Commons for an update on extra powers being handed to police to tackle unauthorised encampments.

A group of travellers set up an illegal encampment on Beechwood Park this week, before later being moved on.

And just days before, the same group had been removed from grounds near Caerleon RFC - with locals claiming that the group have taken to empting chemical toilets and defecating underneath the rugby posts.

A joint visit between Newport City Council and Gwent Police officers took place on the day where a Section 61 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 - power to remove trespassers on land - was possibly going to be used.

Following this, Newport East MP Jessica Morden questioned the Government on potential new powers to stop such instances from recurring.

Ms Morden said: “Last weekend another unauthorised encampment set up in Newport at Beechwood Park causing huge frustration and cost for residents, the local authority the police.

"The Government have recently consulted on extra powers for local authorities and police to deal with circumstances like this.

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"Can we have an update quickly from ministers to give our authorities the powers they need?”

She later added: “The recent unauthorised encampment at Beechwood Park followed a string of incidents at least 13 different sites around Newport. It’s completely unfair that the public, police and local authority have to put up with this.”

Following consultation the Government announced in February a series of potential measures which would increase police powers, though there have been no announcements since. The measures proposed would allow police to direct trespassers to suitable authorised sites in neighbouring local authorities and remove trespassers from land that forms part of the highway. They would also lower the threshold for the number of vehicles before powers can be exercised and increase the period of time trespassers cannot return to land they have been directed away from.