Letter - 'Dale does benefit from travellers' (june 18th edition)

'Dale does benefit from travellers' (june 18th edition)

I would like to know why someone from Richmond thinks horse manure all over The Demesnes grass in Barnard Castle, where my children play, is a good idea, and a 'benefit' to anything? The Travellers get away with everything, big or small, and in the case of a horse, or 12 (which there were at one point) there is nothing small about those 'deposits'. I live on The Demesnes, my children play there, on the grass and at the park. I assume Mrs F Spence thinks it's perfectly alright from my children to come home covered in manure after playing in a so called 'safe' place? Would she like to come and roll around in it for a while if it is so beneficial? I have not heard of any benefit the Travellers bring to Barney, other than the obvious... Police resources being stretched, lots of complaints, theft, damage to cars/buildings etc, residents being 'tense' about their presence and the ammount of garbage being left all over the place. Not to mention the poor lad who was seriously assaulted in Staindrop for £50 and the old tree that was cut down for firewood and left burning after the Travellers' departure. This does NOT strike me as a 'benefit'. The rain has been and gone, yet the poop remains. The grass cutters have been and gone, yet the poop remains. And i agree, dog dirt is an unwelcome addition to the front of my home, but so is piles of manure. It may be that Richmond dwellers need more Travellers and their horses for their 'black gold', and take the trouble and stink away from Barney. I wholeheartedly agree with the comments made two weeks ago, and not at all with Mrs F Spence. If the manure is so 'beneficial' i suggest that Mrs Spence comes to Barnard Castle with a spade and help herself.