TRAVELLERS have moved onto the car park of a pub which has been closed for two weeks after a fire ripped through its roof.

Twelve caravans and associated vehicles pulled onto the Miller & Carter steakhouse car park, which is privately owned, on Wednesday afternoon.

A devastating fire ripped through the roof of the Wallisdown Road steakhouse in April, destroying staff accommodation and leaving the building closed for the foreseeable on safety grounds.

Alderney Ward Cllr Mike Fisher said: “You would have thought the owners would have barricaded the car park off a little better. I’ve seen work vans in the car park in recent days, so I presumed work was being done on the building - or at least set to start.

“These travellers shouldn’t be there, especially if they are disrupting any work to get that property back into action.

“I assume the rates are not being paid on it while it is in the condition it is, so the quicker they can get back up and running again the better it is for everyone.”

One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “It was noisy last night, there seemed to be some kind of party going on. There are a lot of broken bottles on the pavement next to the site this morning as well, but I couldn’t say for definite who left them there.”

Mitchells & Butlers, the company that operates the restaurant, told the Echo they were working to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

A company spokesman said: "Unfortunately we have a small group of travellers on the car park or our Poole restaurant.

"The site is obviously closed following the recent fire and we are working to ensure it is structurally safe so we can begin repair works.

"We don't anticipate these works being delayed due to the travellers being on site."

Meanwhile, a Borough of Poole (BOP) spokesman said: “There is an unauthorised encampment on the car park of Miller & Carter Steakhouse, Wallisdown Road, formerly the Mountbatten Arms.

“This land is not in the ownership of the Borough of Poole.

“Environmental Services staff have visited the site and contact will be made with the landowner.”

Dorset Police confirmed: “We were called at 3.43pm on Wednesday to reports that a group of travellers had arrived on the car park at Miller and Carter Steakhouse in Wallisdown Road in Poole.

“We are liaising with the group and land owners.”

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