A TRANSIT camp for travellers should be built in the New Forest to prevent them occupying unauthorised sites, according to the area's top councillor.

Mel Kendal, leader of the district council, claimed the provision of a special facility would make it easier to evict travellers who invaded parks.

Speaking at a meeting of the council's ruling Cabinet, he said the authority needed to provide an official site where travellers could stay temporarily.

"It would strengthen our case enormously if we could go to a judge and say we told the travellers to move to a temporary site, but they refused," said Cllr Kendal.

Hampshire County Council is already exploring the possibility of providing transit camps.

Purpose-built facilities were advocated by the government last year after local authorities sought new powers to deal with people who occupy public land.

Ministers said they would help councils to tackle the problem, but only if they opened official sites where travellers could stay for limited periods.

Totton councillor Robin Harrison told the Cabinet: "A recent seminar organised by Totton and Eling Town Council concluded that the existing mechanism for dealing with unwanted visitors is too cumbersome.

"We may be moving in the direction of temporary sites."

However, councillors acknowledged that any plan to open a camp in the Forest was likely to be opposed by people living in the neighbourhood.

Brockenhurst member Maureen Holding said she would resist any move to provide travellers with a facility in the parish.

Copythorne councillor Derek Tipp said the authority should take a tough line with people who occupied unauthorised sites and caused problems for residents.

Cllr Kendal stressed that travellers knew their rights. He said: "If we make one mistake our case can be thrown out of court."

Members approved the council's new policy, which was described as a "formalisation" of its existing procedure for dealing with the unlawful occupation of land.

The problem of travellers has been high on the district council's agenda since a group invaded Bartley Park, Totton, last summer.