A HINDLEY Green man is demanding action after nuisance travellers set up camp just yards from his house.

Tony Hart said 15 caravans have been encamped on a field near his Bexhill Drive home for two weeks -- and caused him and his wife, Deborah, nothing but misery.

Mr Hart claims they dump human waste and have torched a caravan and dumped it in a nearby lake.

He says he has written to Wigan Metro, the Police and MP Andy Burnham asking them to intervene and help evict the illegal settlers from the field -- but has had little joy.

An angry Mr Hart said: "For the past two weeks these travellers have made our lives hell. They have been dumping waste all over the place. There are always little fires being set alight every day. One time they set a caravan on fire which was only about 25 yards away from my home. I was so worried that my house was going to get burnt down. They're using a pond near to my house as a public toilet.

"I had suffered from severe depression and I'm worried that all the stress they are causing might send me over the edge again.

"I've e-mailed the Council, the Police and Andy Burnham but they have been of little help."

A Council spokesman, said: "The travellers who are on land off Leigh Road have camped on private land and we are powerless to act."

A Police spokeswoman, said: "The private landowner needs to obtain a court order to move them on from his or her land. Once a landowner has applied for a court order we can intervene -- but until then we cannot do anything."