"Romanian gypsies flood London to celebrate birth of Royal Baby"

From The Daily Mail:

Only three days after a dawn raid cleared one of Britain’s most prestigious streets, a new group of revellers arrived in Park Lane yesterday.

Dozens of Romanian gypsies arrived to turn the tree-lined central London road into a bunting-strewn shrine. Members of the Roma camp laughed and chatted as they were entertained by an accordion player playing the English national anthem with their possessions scattered around them.

On Friday police and council officials had moved on 60 rough sleepers who had turned the underground footways around Marble Arch into their home. Twenty-one took up an offer to fly home for free if they went straight to Heathrow. Yesterday it was clear that the desperate and expensive tactics had freed up space for well-wishers to flood London.

And the ‘cease and desist rejoicing’ notices, carefully translated into Romanian and handed out to dozens of people, were worthless. Some of the Romanian travellers insist they have come to Britain hoping to hear the 41 royal gun salute, but are now trapped because they cannot find the address.

Others simply state they are waiting for one set of grandparents to zoom past on their way to the maternity ward in a heavily guarded motorcade. Whatever the truth, council officials and police credit the visitors with a surge in sales of knock-off royal tat. Nearby businesses, which include Dorchester Souvenirs and a string of luxury memento dealerships, are delighted with the competition.

Large areas of grass are strewn with yesterday's newspapers bearing Kate Middleton's beaming face and half-drunk Pimms. Their possessions, including piles of cardboard placards with slogans such as "Wills I Love You" and pushchairs loaded with red, white and blue balloons, were scattered around them.

Nickie Aiken, of Westminster City Council, said the "squares, gardens and subways of London" are reserved for "groups of people who intend to contribute to the spontaneous outbreak of joy in the city."

She said: "Residents and businesses are delighted that people are coming from as far abroad as Romania to pay homage."