'I'm glad they've gone, the caravans were an eyesore'

The area has been vacated by the caravans - now there are tables from the neighbouring cafe

Margaret Hardy: Now we’ve got such a lovely view of Seafield bus depot. Maybe build some more affordable social housing then Edinburgh Council? What a disgrace that people in full-time jobs can't afford housing. Of course if the housing stock hadn't been sold off years ago to greedy tenants then there would be a lot more housing. The original purpose of council housing was for low-paid workers to have a decent roof over their heads. It worked well until Thatcher decided to make us all “middle class" home owners.

Bill Cunningham: Glad they have gone. Their illegal caravan park was an eyesore. But the Boathouse appear to have got additional tables in very quickly!

Portobello caravans: Campers and vehicles gone from busy seaside beauty spot

Mo Connolly: I have mixed feelings. They weren’t really doing anything wrong – fair enough, illegal camping, but those caravans were their homes and for whatever reason they chose to live there. It couldn’t have been an easy life, very cold in winter I would imagine. I hope they have found somewhere to park up now, but they’re probably facing a similar situation to Portobello with the threat of eviction.

Vicki Watsonian: Not sure it looks any better. What a sad end to a brutal hate campaign.

Shannon Giannandrea: Thank goodness. You can’t park up illegally and disrupt a beauty spot. Go somewhere suitable for living.

Bill Lowrie: I don’t know individual circumstances, but they were there way longer than travellers would have been permitted. I'm sure they will find a site happy to accommodate them if they are responsible citizens prepared to pay their own costs.

Raymond Lennox: So we get rid of the campers blocking the prom and block it with tables instead?

Niomi Fox: It’s a shame no one had any empathy for those poor people who couldn't afford to rent a flat. I hope all those who were moaning will have a nice picnic there, just don't forget to take your rubbish home… As a Porty local for years now, I never saw any of them throwing their rubbish into the sea. I don't understand why people think they were “evil”.

Susan Thomson: They probably couldn’t afford to rent a flat with a sea view in Portobello. Mind you, most people can’t. So most people rent something they can afford, the don’t squat and feel entitled to do so.

Graeme Foley: I think if they sold the campers they'd be able to afford the deposit for a flat.

Davie Black: Hope the council are now equally swift to rid the prom of unnecessary furniture causing just as much a hazard and taking up the same room.

Mcphee Sher: Homeless people who were bus drivers, workers etc failed by Edinburgh Council and had no where else to live in this expensive city. They were out the way idoing no harm – they’re probably out of jobs and on the streets now.

Scott Robertson: Look at the difference. It’s far more inviting for people to go and enjoy without the eyesore of before.

Trust in police

We asked readers if Sarah Everard’s murder by a police officer had made them trust the police less.

Lorraine Robertson: I ddn't trust them before this and I trust them even less now. If someone in that position can do that to a young lady what hope have we got?

Tony Wylie: It is absolutely tragic, but remember he's one man out of thousands. He could have been from any job.

Evelyn McAllister: Yes, in the sense that he obviously was not vettted properly. What are interviews for? They are important if you want to join the police force – we need to trust them.

Stephanie Maxwell: He could have been anything, but theproblem is that police officers should be better than the rest and his colleagues should have picked up and challenged the killer’s strange behaviour.

Emily Keenan Smith: Why discredit the whole police force because this policeman murdered someone?

Marian Appleton: What worries me most is that we just have not got enough police officers to do a proper job.

Michael Smith: The bad fish in the barrel can't ruin it for the rest

'I'm glad they've gone, the caravans were an eyesore' - Readers' Comments

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