Travellers have littered a community football club premises with human and dog excrement, it has been claimed.
Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Club say the situation is now so bad at Davie Park, Rattray, that they had to cancel training for one of their teams this week.
They also claim their young children feel “intimidated” by the travellers’ encampment, which is currently located in a car park beside the pavilion.
They were ordered to leave on Wednesday night and a notice to quit was due to be issued on Thursday morning if they had not already done so.
A spokesperson for the football club said the travellers “set up camp” in the park about 10 days ago.
“They’ve left both human and dog excrement around the perimeter of the pavilion, which is disgusting,” he said.
“The situation has been so bad that we had to cancel training for one of the teams this week.
“I understand the plight of the travelling community but that shouldn’t prevent them carrying on like this.
“We are a community football club and run around eight juvenile teams as well as an amateur and junior team, who all play at Davie Park.
“It’s awful as some of the younger boys and girls feel intimidated when they are going in and out of the pavilion.
“There is also a children’s play park here near the travellers’ caravans.
“I have contacted the council and I know many angry parents have done likewise.”
Sandy Thomson, chair of Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Club said rubbish, petrol cans, tables and chairs had been left lying around the site.
He added: “If that is the way they choose to live and work then that is their prerogative but when it restricts access to a changing area for all ages of male and female footballers then it should not happen.
“Teams who last weekend came from other parts of the country to play did not expect to see that sort of thing, and it not only reflects badly on the football club but the town in general.”
Local Councillor Caroline Shiers said she feels a “swift resolution” is needed and then the gates locked to prevent a repeat..
“There is an unacceptable mess around the well-used pavilion,” she said.
“I have been in discussions with council officers since the travelling people arrived and been on site a number of times.
“I have asked that as soon as they leave the area is cleared up and then steps are taken to prevent caravans going back into the car park and this situation reoccurs.
“The teams who play there all pay fees and are entitled to have clean, safe access and this has not happened over the last week.”
One of the travelling community, who would only give his name as ‘John,’ said the group would be moving on from the site in a “few days.”
“We talked with the council and were told that if we bagged up our rubbish they would take it away,” he said.
“We usually come up to Scotland in the summer for a few months from England but will be moving away from here in a few days. We might go to the Edinburgh area next.”
Perth and Kinross Council confirmed they are aware of the situation and have been liaising with the travelling community.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and deal with any waste issues which may arise once the gypsy travellers have left the site,” she said.
