Richard ...don't be shocked by what I say.....and don't call it "racism". These people are of the same race as I am, Irish and Scottish extraction, but race doesn't come into this, these are simply a group who are using the protection of their "special status" to terrorise a whole town.
I've always looked on you as a friend here Richard, but please make sure you know what you're talking about before you start throwing words like racist about.

If you want to be shocked come up here and see what these bastards do to kids who can't pay their drug debts or repay loans at massive interest rates.

There is nothing about the drug "business" locally, that I don't know, and these people are the lowest form of life.
Over the last eight years, there have been five separate groups bringing in and distributing heroin, of the five groups only the "tinkers" condone the selling of drugs to under 16year olds, or using knifes to enforce their "business".

The two Glasgow groups and one group from Dumbarton were put out of business by police action, the other Dumbarton group was burnt out by the "tinkers" who now have the operation to themselves.

They are almost untouchable, as they cannot be raided like the other groups, if they are raided and nothing is found the police are accused of "harassing an ethnic minority" or something equally stupid.
The "tinkers encampment" is in fact a small village, purpose built, surrounded by woods and scrub, it is accessible only by a single track road about half a mile long, so the chances of any police raid being successful are virtually nil.
There are about eight families living there permenantly all related and most involved in the drug and money lending "trades"


I dont think Ewan invisaged this scenario when he wrote the famous lines.

"The old ways are changing you cannot deny
The day of the traveler is over
There's nowhere to go and there's nowhere to bide
So farewell to the life of the rover"