A GROUP of travellers who were evicted from parkland in Hampshire have set up a new unauthorised camp on land under 600m away.

As previously reported by the Daily Echo, travellers set up a camp on grassland near the old golf course at Fleming Park at the beginning of May.

Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC) took legal action against the group, who left the site on Friday, and had to spend £1,340 clearing up the area.

However, they have now set up a new unauthorised camp on Doncaster Farm, off Chestnut Avenue.

Steve Sollitt, pictured, borough councillor and chairman of the Eastleigh Local Area Committee, said: “The travellers are determined. It’s not easy to protect the land.”

EBC is working with Hampshire Police and Hampshire County Council’s gypsy liaison officer to solve the issue.

Cllr Sollitt said: “The process takes time unfortunately, but the council is trying to deal with it as soon as possible.

“It’s difficult to promise it won’t happen again because if they are determined to get to a site they will, but the council is doing everything in its power to secure its own land.”

As previously reported, the group of around ten caravans had been camped on grassland off Passfield Avenue in April.

Now the site has been provided with trees and earth bunds as security measures, after £30,000 funding was approved in January.

According to the authority, the work at the site was delayed by the recent traveller encampment.

“We take the issue seriously. We invested money to secure the Passfield Avenue site and we’ll work to secure other sites. There is a cost to do this but there is a cost in not doing it as well, as we would end up having to pay to evict,” councillor Sollitt added.

Simon Payne, 43, who ran in the last county council elections as the Conservative candidate for Eastleigh South ward, said: “I want the council to really secure the site. Why did they not take any measure to secure Doncaster Farm?

“This cost will come back to taxpayers.”