THE cost of dealing with travellers and gypsies who moved on to illegal sites in Kent in 2004 is thought to have cost more than £500,000, according to a county council report.

Kent County Council says there were 225 incidents of travellers setting up “unauthorised encampments” last year.

It has warned that unless more permanent and transit sites are provided across the county, that figure is likely to increase.

But despite several high-profile stories involving travellers’ groups moving on to private land, KCC says the public perception of bad behaviour, intimidation and disruption is misplaced.

Its analysis, based on evidence provided by district and borough councils and Kent Police, suggests only around one in 25 encampments led to any disruption and very few involved forced evictions.

In its report, social services director Peter Gilroy states: “It is a commonly held view that most encampments are disruptive and badly behaved. However, overall that does not seem to be supported by available data. Only eight per cent are recorded as involving any disruption.”

The report goes on to say that there were even fewer cases of intimidatory and abusive behaviour. “Only five involved any degree of abuse or violence being directed to towards council staff or police officers.”

The report was compiled by KCC’s Gypsy Unit and was based primarily on information and evidence from local councils and the police.

There were 177 reported incidents of unauthorised encampments in Kent and 48 in Medway last year, split evenly between local authority and privately-owned land.

The largest number was in north Kent with Gravesham (22) and Dartford (33) accounting for one in four encampment. Swale saw 49 and Canterbury 22 but there were none in Tunbridge Wells and only a handful in west Kent (Maidstone, 7; Tonbridge and Malling 6).

Most groups moved on after an average stay of about a week with around 60 per cent “resolved voluntarily or through negotiation.”

On the costs, KCC said it had estimated the costs to councils and the police to be around £350,000, chiefly for site clearance, staff costs and legal fees.

However, it said the true costs were likely to be £500,000 taking into account how much private landowners might have had to pay to deal with illegal encampments.

Cllr John Kirby, chairman of KCC’s Gypsy and Traveller Advisory Board, said the report highlighted that councils needed to address the issue of providing more sites.

“It will not be the easiest job in the world and it will be a difficult problem but legislation is forcing us to look at it,” he said.