BOROUGH officials will prepare for court action this week in a bid to evict travellers from Poole’s Baiter Park.

Eleven caravans, three motorhomes and associated vehicles moved onto the car park at Baiter just before the bank holiday weekend.

Dorset Police have confirmed the travellers are the same group that were at the Mayors Mead car park near Christchurch Quay on Friday.

Borough of Poole leader Elaine Atkinson told the Daily Echo yesterday: “I believe proceedings will be started after the bank holiday weekend to evict them.

“We cannot keep every open space in Poole secure, but last year we put in a number of defences on open spaces to try to avoid them taking up camp.

“My understanding is that they are not causing a disruption or misbehaving so our officers will continue to work with them to persuade them to move on while we go through the legal process.”

Council staff visited the unauthorised encampment on Saturday, and the travellers refused to leave the car park.

Some neighbours told the Echo the group had been keeping to themselves, and had not caused any real disturbances over the weekend.

However, one neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “The problem is they’re taking up pretty much the whole of the car park over there. I wouldn’t want to park my car in there, so I guess if people cannot find anywhere else to park – if the car park by the harbourside is full – they won’t be able to use this area. Which feels a little unfair on a bank holiday weekend.”

Yesterday, a statement on the Borough of Poole’s website, confirmed: “Eleven caravans, together with three motorhomes, accessed the site on Friday evening, and have spread out across the car park.

“Council staff visited on Saturday morning, and the travellers stated they would not vacate the site. Accordingly the legal process for regaining possession of the car park will commence as soon as possible.”

The same car park has been used by travellers for at least the past two years.

In July 2014 Borough of Poole went to the courts to secure an eviction order so officers could move a smaller traveller encampment on. It is not believed the travellers at Baiter Park this weekend are the same as those from last year.

If borough officials are successful in securing a court eviction order, the travellers will have just 24-hours to leave after it has been served. Although, the borough may initially serve the unauthorised encampment with direction orders early this week.