TRAVELLERS who settled near Darwen Services have been given notice to move by the police.

The travellers had previously been at Anchor Road before moving to the site just off the M65.

Sgt Dave Sherrington, of Darwen’s neighbourhood policing team, said the travellers had agreed to move on.

He said: “They told us that one of their cohort was having a child at Burnley General Hospital, which is why they settled in the area.

“They were to be given notice to leave yesterday.

“They said they would be moving on to Manchester for a while, and then on to London.

“As soon as travellers arrive anywhere we tend to get complaints.”

Earcroft councillor Trevor Maxfield said he would be glad to see the back of the travellers. He said: “Wherever they go they always tend to get a bad reception from locals.

“If they had a legitimate reason to be in the area then that is fair enough but I am glad they are moving on.

“Hopefully they will go without leaving a mess behind.

“And I hope that when they do go, they will go for good and not be pitching back up in another part of Darwen in six months time.”

Craig Fishwick, partner at chartered accountants Hayes and Co, in Dalton Court, said there had been problems with travellers using the site for some time.

He said: “We have had to employ 24-hour security as the police and the council have been toothless.

“That has been a nightmare in lost time and extra costs.

“They come and spend five or six days in the area before leaving a trail of destruction behind them.

“And it is inevitable that we will get more travellers, either from this group or another group, coming back to the area. It doesn’t make for a pleasant working environment.”