THE Traveller Movement has reported Tim Aker MEP and Aveley Councillor to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission for his remarks about the Traveller site at Malvern Road.
A spokesperson from the campaign charity said:
"In response to UKIP MEP and Aveley Councillor Tim Aker’s calls for illegal Traveller sites, “like the ones in Malvern Road”, to be made a criminal offence, we would like to point out that the site is not “illegal” as he claims.
Also, as an MEP and a private person Tim Aker can say what he likes within the limits of the criminal and civil law on defamation, but as a councillor he has legal responsibilities to represent all his constituents in a way that does not stir up racial hatred or damage community cohesion.
"Thurrock Council is at fault and Tim Aker, who is a representative of Thurrock Council, should be pointing into the tent if he wants to affect positive change for his constituents.
We would like to ask Cllr Aker one question if Thurrock Council consistently refuses to both identify on-plan land for Travellers to buy and develop – as legally required and pointed out by the planning inspector – and also consistently turn down applications for private Traveller sites, what are people meant to do?
The families at the Traveller site in Malvern Road include working people, old people and children. They also pay council tax and in return it’s only right to expect a Thurrock Councillor to work for them and not against them.
"With this in mind we have reported Councillor Aker to the Equalities Commission because we believe he has singled these families out in this for special attention because of their ethnicity – not because of past planning infringements that have now been temporarily resolved by a government planning inspector.
