Harrison Drury supports council in removing trespassers from two city parks
The land and property dispute resolution team at Harrison Drury has recently secured back-to-back possession orders and High Court writs of possession for Preston City Council who fell victim to trespass on council land by persons unknown.
Prior to the first bank holiday weekend in May 2025, two separate groups of trespassers entered upon two of Preston’s largest parks, Ribbleton Park and Ashton Park.
The trespassers refused to leave the premises when asked to do so by Preston City Council Waste Enforcement Officers and immediately posed a public health and safety risk.
Litter, dogs off their lead, lighting of fires on the grass, and the use of quad bikes and other off-road vehicles were some of the reported issues received by the council.
In addition, a children’s nursery and health centre are located within the parks, along with children’s play areas and sports facilities.
Prompt action required
On both matters, Harrison Drury arranged for possession proceedings to be issued by the court and process served on the trespassers on the day of instruction. Applications for service of the proceedings to be abridged were made and possession hearings were secured the next day.
Upon receipt of the possession orders, Harrison Drury ensured the matters were transferred to the High Court in order to secure the writs of possession, which were enforced by High Court Enforcement Officers later that afternoon.
Due to the impending bank holiday weekend and public concern, it was imperative that swift action was taken to remove the trespassers. By securing a writ of possession, alongside the possession orders, the security from further trespass by the trespassers is protected for a 12-month period.
Securing possession, minimising disruption
Luke Holden, legal director at Harrison Drury, led on both matters with the assistance of solicitor, Zoe Taylor.
Luke said: “Our land and property dispute resolution team have a wealth of experience in securing possession of land and property for client when travellers and/or other trespassers have taken up unlawful occupation of their land. We have a proven track record of recovering possession within a matter of days and when required, within hours, of instruction, ensuring that the disruption caused to our clients is minimised.”
Zoe added: “Given the time sensitive nature of these instructions and the potential risk to public safety, swift action is crucial, even outside regular working hours to secure possession promptly. We are pleased that we were able to get the result for Preston City Council during the lead up to the Bank Holiday weekend.”
Should you require any assistance in removing trespassers from your land, please do not hesitate to or call our land and property dispute resolution team on 01772 258321, so assistance can be provided as early as possible.