TRAVELLERS have been evicted from Muscliff Park.

Enforcement officers were accompanied by Dorset Police to ‘peacefully’ show travellers on their way after nearly a week at Shillingstone Drive yesterday.

They had first arrived at the park, popular with families, last Thursday seeing the community centre shut following reports of a confrontation between residents and travellers.

Officers stopped traffic to allow motorhomes to pull into the road safely.

One passing resident, who could not be named, said he saw travellers filling black bin bags with rubbish and dismantling tents before leaving, with the help of officers.

An enforcement officer at the scene told the Daily Echo not to take photographs ‘for fear of aggravating’ the travellers as they left the site.

However, he also claimed that officers had been present since the travellers arrived and had been abused while there - including having had nappies thrown at them. 

Another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said he’d been unable to take his 18-month-old child to the park since the travellers’ arrival.

“They don’t intimidate me but what I didn’t like was nine-year-olds driving around in vans. I’m surprised nothing was done sooner,” he said.

Michael Rowland, head of parks development, said a repossession order was obtained on Thursday morning. 

“High court enforcement officers were present to ensure that travellers complied with the court order; the police were also present to ensure a safe and peaceful eviction,” he said.

“All travellers left the site peacefully by 1pm. We are currently cleaning the site and will be undertaking various works to secure the site over the next few days.”

Cllr Ian Clark said: “It’s very frustrating that it has taken a week to remove them from the park. The council has done everything it can but I think the police could have acted faster.”

A spokeswoman for Poole Borough Council where there are another two sets of travellers at Copse Close and at Sandbanks car park said legal proceedings are underway.

A court summons was issued on Thursday morning ordering the removal of travellers from Copse Close - where there are eight caravans - by midday today with the “legal process to evict” initiated for the eight motorhomes at Sandbanks.

Comments have been opened on this story but please note: any reference to gypsies or any racially offensive term will cause them to be closed and you may find your account suspended. Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are legally recognised as ethnic groups, and protected by the Race Relations Act.

Please keep your comments to this particular incident and do not generalise about the travelling community. Thanks for your co-operation.