A GROUP of Irish travellers caused chaos in Chipping Sodbury after setting up camp in a busy car park.

The group, travelling in 14 caravans. took up residence in Wickwar Road Car Park on Monday evening leaving shoppers with little room to park.

Police from Chipping Sodbury gave the travellers notice under Section 61 of the Public Order Act on Tuesday afternoon, ordering them to leave the site by 9am on Wednesday morning.

The group, who originate from Athlone in Ireland, arrived in Thornbury last Friday and were moved without any trouble under the same public order.

They then arrived on private land in Armstrong Way, Yate, and were quickly moved on by the land-owner.

Sector inspector Keith Farrow told the Gazette the travellers had taken up three-quarters of Wickwar Road Car Park.

He said: "Shoppers and traders could not park and that caused problems for people with nowhere to leave their cars.

"It is a very unsuitable place for a travellers' camp."

He said there is a certain process which must be followed to evict the travellers, starting with land-owners Sodbury Town Council making a reasonable attempt to make them leave.

Clerk to the Council Lesley Gane presented an eviction notice on Tuesday morning giving the group until 2pm the next day to leave the car park.

Meanwhile the travellers claimed they had been unfairly treated by both the police and Sodbury Town Council.

A spokesman for the travellers told the Gazette the public order was not valid as a health and safety check had not been carried out on the site.

He said: "We have got sick people here. One lady is already in hospital with stomach problems. another is due to go in soon and one of the lads needs a pin taking out of his foot."

Another man added that he was still waiting to take his six-week-old twins for a doctor's check up before they moved on again.

They also claimed the police had locked the public toilets on the site to stop them from using it.

However Insp Farrow told the Gazette that in matters of criminal cases a health and safety check was not needed.

Added Insp Farrow: "If we then consider that the disruption to the community is significant, we can invoke our powers giving them reasonable time to leave."

The group did eventually move sometime during Tuesday evening.

They are forbidden to set up camp within five miles of the town and have been banned form returning to the area for six months.

At the time of going to press the group had set up home in a disused industrial site off Wellington Drive in Yate - less than three miles away.

Insp Farrow said he had no problem with travellers but hoped this particular group would, in future, chose a site which caused less problems for the rest of the community.