'Appalling’ mess left by travellers in Wolverhampton

Bricks, plastic and a sofa were left among the pile of rubbish dumped by travellers on the Windsor Avenue Playing Fields in Penn.

Councillors have now launched a review of security at the site which has been invaded twice in six months.

Up to 20 caravans pitched up at the site last week, before being moved on by council officers on Friday.

Their behaviour was criticised by councillors and residents alike, with some locals describing members of the group going to the toilet in the open and lighting fires.

Council bosses praised environmental services officers for their hard work cleaning up the site.

Wolverhampton council wrote on Twitter: "Additional security measures have been installed to prevent unauthorised access. Plans for further security are also underway."

The travellers' behaviour was described as 'disgraceful' by Conservative group leader Wendy Thompson.

Councillor Thompson said: "It's utterly appalling – I would charge them for the clean-up.

"It's an absolute disgrace. We need to be able to get court orders far more quickly in the future and there are more obstacles to make it tougher to get onto the land."

Cabinet member for city environment Steve Evans said the authority is plotting a 'long-term solution' to the problem of travellers setting up camps on land in Wolverhampton.

He said: “We are actively working to achieve a long-term solution to this issue whilst operating within the remits of what the courts allow us to do.”

Council spokesman Danielle Taylor added: “We are considering remedies to the issue of traveller incursions, including the possible use of injunctions on sites where there have been previous encampments, and ways of protecting potentially vulnerable sites."