Travellers leave Bognor car park site

The occupants of 24 caravans which had been parked on the London Road coach and lorry and car parks pulled out at the weekend. It is believed they left on Saturday (July 26) afternoon.

They filled some skips provided by Arun District Council with rubbish. But, that apart, there was little sign of their occupation of the area at the start of this week.

A council spokeswoman said there had been no need to specially clean the areas.

The toilets on the site had also been left little different than their usual daily state.

However, the decision about whether to fix a barrier to the entrance to the coach and lorry park is set to be put to district councillors.

The site has been the subject of frequent illegal camps by travellers in recent years. But preventing that at the same time as enabling lorries and coaches to stay there poses a challenge.

The latest travellers arrived at 4.30pm on July 13.

Arun had begun to take legal action against them but this had not gone through all the court processes before the travellers departed.

Arun District Council can evict travellers from its land if they are occupying a site without consent.

Council officers must inquire about the travellers' general health, welfare and children's right and ensure they comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.

The council must also follow a set procedure by providing ownership of land and details of the illegal encampment in order to get powers from the court to evict the travellers.

A court can refuse to grant an eviction order if there is an unavoidable reason for the travellers to stay on site or if the court believes the council has failed to make adequate inquiries about health and welfare.