A GROUP of travellers illegally parked on land in Yate may soon be forced to move. 

South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) have confirmed that they have taken legal action to remove an encampment currently residing on Yate Common.

A SGC spokesman said: “An officer from our traveller unit has visited the encampment to assess the families’ welfare needs and to negotiate with them to leave the site in line with our established procedures.

"We have applied for an Order to remove the encampment, which will be decided at Bristol Magistrates Court on Friday, May 12.

“We are continuing to liaise with the police, Yate Town Council and the families in order to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

The current travellers have been living on the site, which is owned by South Gloucestershire Council, since Tuesday, May 2. 

They are believed to have accessed the site by cutting through a padlock.