TRAVELLERS have been turfed off Upton Recreation Ground by Dorset Police after just ONE day.

Officers were able to move them on more swiftly than in neighbouring Poole, because Lytchett Minster & Upton Town Council - which owns the recreation ground - falls under the administrative umbrella of Purbeck District Council, meaning Dorset County Council policy towards unauthorised encampments applies locally.

The county has a permanent transit camp at Piddlehinton with capacity for 24 pitches.

On Monday afternoon, after town officials met with police, the travellers were served with a notice under Section 62 of the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994, which ordered them to leave the site by 9am the following day.

They were given two options - leave Dorset or go onto the transit camp.

Under this legislation, the travellers are unable to come back to Upton Recreation Ground within three months.

Failure to comply could also result in police making arrests and seizing vehicles.

Speaking to the Daily Echo yesterday, Lytchett & Minster Council town clerk Karen Wright explained: "Maybe they didn't know they'd come over to Upton, as a lot of people think we are within the Poole conurbation - but we are not, we are part of Purbeck District Council and as such we fall under the Dorset County Council banner.

"Had we not been able to serve them with a Section 62 (A) we, as a council, would have had to go to court and go through the longer legal process."

Twenty travellers moved onto the site around 9pm on Sunday evening.

In 2014 Borough of Poole (BOP) attempted to establish two transit camps within the borough, but these proposals sparked fierce opposition from people living close to the main site earmarked, Creekmoor Park & Ride.

Following a wave of protest from residents and Creekmoor councillors, plans for this temporary stopping site, and for another smaller site at Oakdale, were thrown out by Poole’s planning committee.

One Upton resident, who asked not to be named, said: "It is good that they've been evicted so quickly but they've left rubbish strewn all over the field, you wouldn't want your kids playing here until it had been cleaned up.

"It was explained to us about this transit site and how it all works, if they had one in Poole it would be easier but I wouldn't like to live next to it."

Around half of the travellers left Upton on Monday evening, with the rest moving off yesterday morning.

Mrs Wright said: "The police attended about 8am this morning to gee them up.

"Now we will look at starting the clear-up operation and look at securing the site again."

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