THERE is nothing romantic about travellers, the so-called free spirits who do not want to down roots but prefer to camp on other people's green spaces.

They contribute nothing to this borough in the way of community tax, yet run up huge bills which the rest of us have to pay for removal of the vast amounts of rubbish they leave behind them and repairs to the damage they do.

This week seven families of them pitched up in Eldene Drive, close to young trees and wooden bollards costing a total of £14,000 which were put there in a bid to keep them out.

People who are sympathetically disposed towards travellers still trot out that old 'live and let live' line. It cuts no ice, however, with the majority who pay their taxes yet have to look out on the mess created by these people.

The council is right when it says providing anti-vehicle restraints on every open space in the borough would be physically and financially impossible.

It would not be necessary if people stopped hiring travellers to lop trees and asphalt their driveways. Without casual work they would disappear overnight.

Enforcement of new laws that will enable police to move them on quickly and permanently cannot come soon enough.

Then we can all say good riddance.