Travellers move onto Barr Beacon

The group are the second to move on to the land at the nature reserve in two years.

Conservative group leader Mike Bird said he hopes they will be moved on 'as soon as possible' and the process is already under way.

But he hit out at the group of around 23 caravans, who he claimed had 'cut through locks' to get onto the beauty spot.

The travellers turned up at the beauty spot on Monday, having previously spent more than a week on Brownhills Common.

Councillor Bird told the Express & Star: "At the end of the day what we have to do is deal with the problem we've got and take measures afterwards.

"From what I've been told they cut the locks off the gates and that is how they got in – as the gates are locked every night.

"They have got no respect for the law and what we have to do is educate them.

"It's very frustrating, as they think any piece of land is fair game for them – even the Beacon which is a war memorial.

"I'm all for the police seizing their vehicles until any damage created has been paid for, otherwise the vehicles get crushed.

"Hopefully we will see them move on as soon as possible.

"People say we should respect their life but they should respect ours as well."

It is the second encampment at Barr Beacon in two years.

Other sites in the borough which have been repeatedly set upon by travellers have had injunctions imposed to move the groups on faster.

Among those is Delves Common on the border with Sandwell.

The injunction speeds up the moving on process to 24 hours rather than the usual five days.

Sandwell Council has also got a similar injunction on sites in its borough.