THE secretary of a Hampshire football club is calling for action after a group of travellers descended on a Southampton recreation ground.

About 40 caravans have made their way to Lordshill outdoor recreation centre since Sunday, and Don Campbell, secretary of Q K Southampton, is urging the council to resolve the issue before someone is injured.

Mr Campbell said he was concerned for the safety of people using the ground while the vans were driving around.

He said: "There's still training going on, there are people walking their dogs and they're still playing cricket down there.

"We're a bit concerned because we want to get back on the pitch. There's been no damage done anywhere at the moment, but they're still driving vans around and causing a bit of a problem for people using the site.

"They've parked around the pitch so they're driving across the pitch continuously."

The recreation ground is also the home of Millbrook Rugby Club, as reported in yesterday's Daily Echo.

A Hampshire police spokesman said it was the landowner's responsibility to deal with any trespassers.

She said: "The owners are the ones with the legal responsibility to deal with trespassers and not the police.

"The police have no responsibility to deal with trespassers - it's a civil matter."

A spokesman for Southampton City Council said some 17 caravans had arrived at the site originally, but the number was now about 40.She added that action was being taken by the City Council, but that the processes took time to sort out.

A welfare assessment of the travellers has already been undertaken and court proceedings will be issued over the next few days to evict the families from the site.