A GROUP of travellers has set up camp at a car park close to two Burnley parks.

A handful of caravans turned up at the car park in Queen Victoria Road, close to the Premier Inn and Brewers Fayre restaurant yesterday morning.

The site, owned by Burnley Council, is sandwiched between Thompson Park and Queens Park, which are popular with families and children.

Council bosses said they believed the travellers had moved from another site in the town and pledged to move them on as soon as possible.

A Burnley Council spokesman said: “An officer was due to visit the site yesterday.

“We were due in court to move on a group of travellers with around six or so caravans parked on the Prairie playing fields car park.

“But they moved on at the last minute. I think the assumption is that this is the same group that has moved to this new site.

“It will be a matter of going back to court and getting a new order to move them on from this site.”

Bank Hall councillor John Fifield said he was keen to see the travellers moved on at the earliest opportunity.

He said: “I have lived in this part of Burnley for around 10 years and this is the first time this has happened here that I know of.

“I remember when it happened at Westgate, at the top of Wiseman Street.

“They left that a right mess and there were only around three to four caravans there.

“There is Thompson Park, Queens Park, Bank Hall Park, so we do not want the same thing happening here.”