Residents face road chaos as traveller funeral is held in Sutton

9:15am Tuesday 15th January 2013 in News

RESIDENTS are braced for traffic chaos this morning as a large funeral for a member of the travelling community is held in St Helens.

Thomas Mongan, 26, was found dead at his Sutton home on Sunday, December 23.

His funeral takes place today (Tuesday) at St Anne’s and Blessed Dominic Church, Sutton.

Travellers from around the country are expected to attend.

Already neighbours have complained that a large number of visitors to Sutton is causing road networks to be blocked.

Parents have also voiced concern that they have been told to bring children to primary schools earlier than expected because of the disruption.

A significant police presence is located in Sutton.

A police statement read: “Merseyside Police would like to inform the people of St Helens that there may be some traffic congestion due to a large funeral on Tuesday (January 15).

“The funeral procession will contain a large number of vehicles and people on foot and will be moving around the below route between about 10.30am and 1pm.

“Monastery Lane, Robins Lane, Station Road, Leonard Street, Hoghton Road, Cecil Street, Peckers Hill Road, Ellamsbridge Road, Marshalls Cross Road, Reginald Road, Helena Road, Telford Drive.

“The procession with then take the St Helens Linkway and onto the M62 Motorway.

“People are advised that journeys around that area may take longer than usual at this time and we would like to thank people in advance for the patience and understanding.”

Comments(11)

smith&weston says...
10:30am Tue 15 Jan 13

Hundreds of funerals take place around Merseyside every day with out causing any problems what so ever. But this is no ordinary funeral. It is one being held by the untouchable section of our community, a section that rules through fear and intimidation of others.When did you last go to a funeral where police had to be on stand by. ?

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pitbullboxing says...
12:06pm Tue 15 Jan 13

New Labour spent 50 million pounds on "integrating" the travellers. Money well spent eh?

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Clazza says...
12:15pm Tue 15 Jan 13

yeh could have done with more than 7 hours notice too! nightmare!

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delger says...
2:53pm Tue 15 Jan 13

I took one of my children into school late as I was unable to take her in early an my youngest missed nursery because of the chaos, I sympathise because they have lost a loved one but to cause such disruption to a community is disgraceful, we would not get the treatment they received today nor would we get all roads we were travelling on gritted as I noticed they had done for them, this country has got is in a mess

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Dono says...
3:23pm Tue 15 Jan 13

Its all wrong, they should have to pay extra for the chaos that goes with them in everything they do. Yes, sad for the their loss, but also sad for the local businesses that can not or will not open because of the potential threat, not to mention the schools that are close by, my friend only took her children in this afternoon as it was clear that the powers that be thought their could be trouble, we shouldnt have to live in fear in our own communities.

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alfiej says...
8:04pm Tue 15 Jan 13

I live and work in Sutton and thought the funeral was lovely. And yes we had plenty of the travellers nipping in but each one of them was polite. I know it was a big event but that's just the way they do things. Would people prefer there to be no police escorting them? And in reply to the comment about them ruling by fear and intimidation, I believe that if you treat them with respect they give it back. I would much rather have travellers coming in our shop everyday than the local drug addicts who just want to fill their pockets with what they can get.

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smith&weston says...
3:23am Wed 16 Jan 13

' I believe that if you treat them with respect they give it back.' which I take to mean if you give in to them and their demands then they leave you in peace ?

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MLHP says...
10:51am Wed 16 Jan 13

Well if you come to Sutton and see the mess left behind from yesterday you may well alter your opinion, there are McDonald's wrappers all over the place, costa coffee cups and other bits of litter all where they wer parked (illegally double parked I might add) up Monestary road. I have no problems with their funerals, I do have a problem with how they treat the place like they own it (as in all of Sutton) all the pubs close, shops shut etc. if there were to have been a fire at st Anne's school yesterday, the fact of the matter is the appliances would never have gotten down the road, I (a tax paying resident) couldn't get in my street, the police turned me away due to me being in a large transit (works vehicle) because it couldn't fit in the street... Complexity unacceptable in my eyes.

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smith&weston says...
11:17am Wed 16 Jan 13

MLHP wrote:
Well if you come to Sutton and see the mess left behind from yesterday you may well alter your opinion, there are McDonald's wrappers all over the place, costa coffee cups and other bits of litter all where they wer parked (illegally double parked I might add) up Monestary road. I have no problems with their funerals, I do have a problem with how they treat the place like they own it (as in all of Sutton) all the pubs close, shops shut etc. if there were to have been a fire at st Anne's school yesterday, the fact of the matter is the appliances would never have gotten down the road, I (a tax paying resident) couldn't get in my street, the police turned me away due to me being in a large transit (works vehicle) because it couldn't fit in the street... Complexity unacceptable in my eyes.
Totally unacceptable. It is high time we stopped treating the traveling community as some ancient quaint oldie world tradition and saw them for what they are - an organised crime gang with the power to intimidate ordinary people in their own communities.

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alfiej says...
8:26pm Wed 16 Jan 13

smith&weston wrote:
' I believe that if you treat them with respect they give it back.' which I take to mean if you give in to them and their demands then they leave you in peace ?
no. i work in a shop where all of the local travellers frequent, and I have never had to "give in to them" because they never "demand anything". If you knew anything about travellers, you would know they are not like that. yes if you give them grief they are going to return it ten fold, but why shouldnt they stick up for themselves?

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Fififlowerpot says...
10:36pm Thu 17 Jan 13

How can you possibly explain all the riot vans placed around Sutton all weekend, cars set on fire, shootings and fighting....yes I agree it's certainly not all down to travellers there's plenty of scum around St. Helens that aren't from that community....but they aren't all innocent, they cause a hell of a lot of torment for a lot of residents, have intimidated a lot of people in the area and I know for a fact that a fair amount from the Sutton community are in fact in jail!! All respect goes to the family of the man who died an I hope he rests in peace, but travellers are not all sweetness and light :(

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