Travellers who set up camp at a former Wolverhampton leisure centre have been dramatically kicked off by police, leaving a mess in their wake.

An eviction hearing was due to take place at the city’s crown court today to order the group off the car park at the derelict Heath Town Leisure Centre, where they have been since breaking in last Thursday.

But officers moved in last night following complaints from residents in Tudor Road.

People reported seeing thieves stealing gym equipment from the centre and stripping lead from the roof.

The culprits were apparently seen loading equipment such as treadmills, exercise bikes, and rowing and weights machines into vans and driving off.

Wolverhampton City Council today confirmed equipment including weights had been stolen.

Residents living near the old leisure centre, which shut last November to make way for the new swimming complex at Bentley Bridge, today condemned it as an eyesore and called for its demolition.

Children’s toys and plastic bags full of waste are now strewn across land to the side of the leisure centre following the removal of the convoy.

James Smith, who has lived in Tudor Road for 38 years, said the travellers had caused major disruption and their stay was the latest in a long line of problems at the centre.

“It’s a hell of a mess,” she said. “The council should have done something before. There’s no end of problems with lead thieves and people breaking in weekly.

“They should have pulled it down. It’s not going to improve.”

Another Tudor Road resident, who did not want to be named, branded the state left behind by the travellers “a disgrace”.

“It’s a nuisance and an eyesore,” she said.

Felicity Roberts, spokeswoman for Wolverhampton City Council, added it was too early to say how much the clean-up would cost.

She added: “Regarding the theft of gym equipment, the police advised staff not to attempt to go inside the building at present, so we cannot confirm exactly what’s been taken at this time.

“However I can tell you that the equipment in there is cardiovascular equipment and resistance weights.

“It was obsolete and not useable. The site should be clear by the weekend as the scale of the debris left isn’t that high.”

Families told previously how they felt like prisoners in their own homes due to the travellers.

Police have been called to incidents including a bare-knuckle fight, which escalated into a mass brawl and continued at New Cross Hospital, as well as complaints of dogs running wild in front of cars and chasing schoolchildren.

And they slammed Wolverhampton City Council for leaving the items in the building, closed in November, which they say could have been donated to schools or community groups.

Resident Neil Prosser said: “The baths have been destroyed. To look at the building now is very sad.”

Miss Roberts said the gym equipment could not have been transferred elsewhere because of its age.