Worries traveller camp will ruin beauty spot

More than a dozen caravans moved on to land near Milford Common next to the entrance to Shugborough Hall, the latest illegal camp to set up in Staffordshire.

Councillors are now calling for tougher action to be taken including the introduction of barriers at targeted sites.

Stafford Borough Council Milford Ward Councillor Finlay Francis said: "People are worried and have contacted me to find out how long the travellers are going to be able to stay.

"They are concerned about the state the land is going to be left in when they do move on, after setting up without permission."

The councillor also said the problem had escalated over the last month, with travellers moving on to council owned sites in the town centre earlier this week.

He said: "We have never really had too serious a problem in Stafford, not to the extent we have now. It seems to have really increased in the last few weeks."

The Italian and German registered vehicles moved on to triangular land next to the entrance of Shugborough Hall, off Brocton Road, on Wednesday at around 6pm.

The site is managed by Staffordshire County Council and the council has applied for an order from the County Court to move them on.

The travellers set up the same day a group were moved off the long-stay Doxey Road car parks, having also pitched up there in February.

Earlier this month more than 10 caravans also moved onto a playing field off Holmcroft Road in Stafford.

Stafford Borough councillor Isabella Davis said: "It is a country wide problem, but I think Stafford is suffering badly from it.

"The problem is when groups find somewhere easy to get on to they will come back."

In the past month alone across Staffordshire and the Black County, travellers have moved on to a country park in Willenhall, open space in Wednesfield, park land in West Bromwich, playing fields in Walsall, a conservation site in Wolverhampton and land in Walsall Wood.