Chief Superintendent Richard Bennett has complained about the Evening Post's reporting of travellers camping on the park in Cintra Avenue. He told us: "The police are not aware of any 'spate of thefts and damage to property' The police are also concerned that the wording that has been used seems to associate this traveller group with criminal activity. There is no evidence to support this inference and it could be seen as discriminatory against the traveller community to make such a comment when there are no crime reports documented to substaniate it. Quite clearly when our officers returned the chairs that had been removed from the back gardens of properties adjoining the park, they hadn't been stolen. And we have had no reports of criminal damage reported."

When we asked about the plant pots reported destroyed by local residents, he put his fingers in his ears and hummed "la-la-la-la, not listening".