Traveller Eviction in Manchester: Service of 'Notice to Vacate' at Industrial Site
Related Services
Team Members Involved
The Situation
Strikes Property Services has a long-standing supplier agreement with the waste management company for enforcement services, and on this occasion instructed Strikes to address an unlawful occupation at their facility in Wigan, near Manchester.
Upon a site visit in late March 2026, agents encountered assertive trespassers who had been pre-warned of the attendance. The trespassers made claims of partial land ownership – specifically over sections of the entrance road – and an articulated lorry trailer was noted to be obstructing the main gate.
The client required the formal service of a ‘Notice to Vacate’ to assert possessory rights and initiate the legal process for removal. Given the trespassers’ claims and indication that they had engaged solicitors, it was imperative that the service was conducted meticulously to withstand legal scrutiny.
The service of notices was legally compliant, with Strikes issuing a Certificate of Service and Statement of Truth to the solicitors who will begin the formal possession proceedings in the county court.
The situation demanded a professional approach. Following a search for professional enforcement services in Greater Manchester, the client instruced Strikes to ensure the notice was served effectively.
Our Approach
On the designated morning, our agents attended the industrial facility. Following prior telephone contact, the trespassers were aware of the impending visit. Agents engaged in dialogue, explaining the purpose of their attendance was to serve formal notices requiring the site to be vacated by a set date in 2026.
The trespassers challenged the placement of notices, asserting ownership over certain areas near the main gate. Our agents negotiated strategically, securing agreement to affix notices on the main security building and a second gate, on land the trespassers acknowledged as belonging to our client.
Notices, complete with site maps, were posted on both sides of the main gate and on various buildings.
Although the trespassers handed back several notices they claimed were on their land, our agents had already taken photographic evidence of the notices in situ. This rendered the trespassers’ actions inconsequential to the validity of the service. All actions were comprehensively documented to form a robust body of evidence.
Outcome
Despite considerable resistance and ongoing claims of land ownership, Strikes Property Services successfully served the ‘Notice to Vacate’ documents at multiple strategic locations across the site.
The action established a clear and formal deadline for the trespassers’ departure, with the explicit warning of court action for non-compliance. The client’s legal position was firmly established, providing a solid foundation for subsequent eviction proceedings.
