ONLY one caravan remained on a controversial illegal travellers' site, after a council crackdown, as the Worcester News went to print last night.

Following legal action by Worcester City Council, all but one of the caravans pitched on King George V Playing Fields, off Ash Avenue, Brickfields, left the site yesterday.

The travellers had moved onto the site on Wednesday July 4, with 10 caravans setting up camp there.

On Monday, Worcester City Council served the travellers with a notice to leave immediately, with support from West Mercia Police.

Yesterday (Friday, July 13) the city council's civil enforcement officers served papers informing the occupants of the last remaining caravan that they were set to take court action.

The high court was due to hear the case on Tuesday July 17 and, if it agrees to the eviction order, the travellers would have 48 hours to leave or face action.

Dumped rubbish had been mounting on the playing fields since the travellers arrived, with a number of residents contacting the Worcester News to complain.

Commenting on the rubbish, a city council spokesman said: "Our officers have been visiting the site on a regular basis. Earlier in the week they said that the waste wasn't much, but they didn't say there was none."

She added: "They (officers) haven’t directly received any complaints from the community."

Speaking on Monday, Marie, one of the travellers, said: "We always leave the place as we found it."

"We will go either today if not tomorrow.

"This is our lifestyle - this is what we like to do.

"All our neighbours have been really nice. The other day some of them sat out and had a drink with us."

A Brickfields Road resident said yesterday: "I can’t believe nothing has been done about the mess, it’s clearly a health hazard. Or the fact nothing has been done to prevent them gaining access to the fields after last year and the cost to the taxpayer to clear it up. I walk my dogs over there and it stinks."

Posting on the Worcester News Facebook page, residents criticised the travellers.

Brian Jones said: "They always leave heaps of rubbish behind. They do not pay for that clear up."

June Beaumont added: "If only they took rubbish with them, people wouldn't complain as much."

Rosie Furlong said: "The pitches have been trashed and the clean up is going to cost thousands. I don't think people would mind if they cleaned up after themselves – why all the destruction and mess?"

Gill Ball added: "Why are they above the law? The police should forcibly remove them from the park and make them take their rubbish with them. If you don’t pay your council tax you don’t get to use the facilities."