Businessman faces legal action for petition to evict car park travellers

The petition was sparked by two Irish family groups occupying a site on an unused corner of an overspill car park at the city's new Liberty Stadium.

Last week the 37-page petition, running to almost 1000 signatures, was served on the county council.

Now the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) Wales is to start legal action claiming the petition is discriminatory.

Chris Myant, the CRE Wales director, said the petition breaches section 31 of the Race Relations Act which makes it unlawful to bring pressure on someone to act in a discriminatory way.

He described it as a "worrying example" of the way some people try "to twist discussion" around how the accommodation needs of gypsies and travellers could properly be resolved.

"The petition is headed: 'Petition against any proposed itinerant travellers site within Llansamlet and the Swansea Vale area of the City and County of Swansea,"' he said.

"That goes to the ethnic origin of the people who occupy the site," he added.

"The issue is not one of stopping people debating whether there should be a caravan site at that location or not.

"What this petition is objecting to is not another caravan site but the kind of people who will occupy the site."