Travellers set up camp in Dundee to allow two pregnant women access to a nearby doctor’s surgery.
Six caravans appeared at Whitfield Loan in the north-east of the city early last week much to the dismay of residents.
The Travellers left that site over the weekend and have now moved to nearby Drumgeith Road, but revealed they had come to the city for medical treatment.
Mary Connors, 27, a mother-of-three with a fourth child due in April, had been living at the official Travellers’ site at Balmuir Wood for several months with her partner John, 27.
Their children were attending Tealing Primary before the Christmas holiday. However, the family were forced to leave the site over claims they owed rent and set up camp in the city for health care.
Mary said: “Honestly I can understand why people here want us gone, but this is the only health care that will take us on.
“The kids are upset because they were supposed to go back to school. They’re quite behind with their schooling but they were getting on well and learning their letters.
“I begged to stay at the site even just until I’ve had the baby. I don’t know how much we owe because we’ve never received any bills.”
Another member of the travelling group, aged 17, said that along with Mary, she was registered with Whitfield doctor’s surgery and health workers had told her to stay in the area so they could keep track of her pregnancy.
The woman, who is six months pregnant, said: “You really have to stay in the one area and keep the same midwife or the hospitals get really snappy with you.”