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awaiting housing development) with easy access to the road. During the summer
months the gypsies may find agricultural work but during the winter they seek the
populous districts and engage in selling flowers and collecting rags and old iron. The
day of the horse drawn caravan has almost gone; most of the vans are now pulled by
motor vehicles.
The method of dealing with this problem is for the inspector to warn the gypsies
that if they are not off the site by a specified day and time (usually 10.00 o'clock the
next morning) they will be pulled off. The presence of the Police is sought to prevent
any breach of the peace and a Council lorry is brought to the site to pull off any vans
the owners refuse to remove. Invariably the site is cleared but often some, if not all,
the vans go to another site in the Borough.
To prevent access to the sites by the erection of fences is usually too expensive to
contemplate; it would appear that the problem will remain until all vacant sites to which
there is easy access are developed.
During the year the inspectors paid 305 visits to various sites in connection with
this work.
Flooding
Following torrential rain in September tributaries of the Beam River overflowed
resulting in the flooding of a few houses in three areas in the Southern part of the
Borough. His Worship The Mayor gave financial assistance in certain necessitous cases.
NATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACT, 1948
Section 47
The surveillance of persons who are unable properly to look after themselves
continues to receive the attention of the department. During the year it was necessary
to obtain the Court's authority for the compulsory removal of a widow (age 52 years)
who was living alone, suffering from a grave chronic disease and completely unable to
devote to herself, and was not receiving from other persons, proper care and attention.
The patient died in hospital before it was necessary to consider a further application
to the Court. The Council gave careful consideration to all the consequences involved
in using the powers contained in this section.
Section $0
Two persons (males 53 and 22 years, the latter a seaman) were buried under the
provisions of this section.
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