Ref. 26243-40TRAVELLERS have returned to Eldene, despite the efforts of residents and Swindon Council to keep them at bay.

More than seven families have pitched up camp in Eldene Drive, near to where 1,500 trees have been planted and wooden bollards fitted in a bid to stop them.

The trees and bollards in Elmore Park, between Eldene Drive and Dorcan Way, cost £14,000 and were funded by Swindon Council and the Great Western Community Forest.

Former councillor Pete Brown has been campaigning to keep travellers out of the area for seven years.

He said: "I understand a travellers liaison officer has visited the site and asked them to move on. We expect this to happen by tomorrow."

Mr Brown also wants preventative measures to be taken so the travellers cannot return.

He said: "I have asked for mounds or bollards to be erected in this park. It is not just about moving the travellers on quickly but trying to stop them coming in the first place."

This month the council will be creating earth mounds on Dorcan Way, from the stream to Snodshill roundabout, to block access for travellers.

The nearest legal travellers site or transit site is Chiseldon Firs, on the A346 Chiseldon to Marlborough road. It has a concrete area that can hold 12 caravans, and has running water.

Swindon Council spokeswoman Sarah Deacon said: "The traveller liaison is following due processes of law. We anticipate the travellers will depart on Thursday.

"The borough of Swindon is designed and laid down as a town with many open spaces.

"Certain areas have anti-vehicle measures. But it would be physically and financially impossible to replicate measures on every open space in the borough."

Swindon MPs have recently backed new laws allowing police to quickly and permanently move illegal travellers.

Swindon South MP Julia Drown and Michael Wills, MP for North Swindon, welcomed a change to the Public Order Act (1994) introduced by the Government in June. It means unauthorised camps that have blighted Swindon's field and roadsides, often leaving rubbish behind, should disappear.

Currently officers are only able to move illegal travellers when they have damaged land or property, or threatened the landowner.

The amendment, once implemented, means officers will be able to act immediately.