COUNCIL teams were left to clean up an Oxford park-and-ride after travellers vacated the site.

A fleet of caravans previously occupying Water Eaton park-and-ride in Kidlington have crossed into Warwickshire after pressure from police and bailiffs.

Oxfordshire County Council, which owns the land, cleared the area yesterday morning, while Oatlands Road Recreation Ground in west Oxford was left strewn with rubbish when another group of travellers left after two weeks.

Oxford Mail:

It comes as Thames Valley Police clamp down on illegal encampments across Oxfordshire, although officers confirmed the travellers at Water Eaton were not handed a section 61 'dispersal order', unlike a group occupying the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday.

Orders are authorised under Section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act and give police powers to move unauthorised encampments, preventing those present from returning within three months.

WATCH: Video shows the sheer number of caravans that arrived at Science Park

Oxford Mail:

This means the matter will sit with the county council, which did not confirm what measures it would take if travellers returned.

County councillor for Kidlington South, Maurice Billington, praised the police for moving the travellers on, but feared they would turn up at another site.

He said: "They're a nuisance, they make so much mess and they cause havoc.

"It's very upsetting for residents and the problem has just gone somewhere else now.

"The council needs to have a settlement travellers can go after they leave the site.

"The police are doing much more than before and I'm very impressed with that."

Oxford Mail:

Travellers have parked up at Water Eaton, which is connected to Oxford Parkway, four times this year.

Thames Valley Police confirmed officers supported bailiffs at the park-and-ride on Tuesday to 'prevent a breach of the peace'.

Meanwhile, travellers finally vacated Oatlands Recreation Ground on Tuesday, the day they were due to be evicted, leaving rubbish including litter, children's toys and gas canisters.

Susanna Pressel, city and county councillor for Jericho and Osney, said it had not been possible to evict the group before this date, despite concern from residents.

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Ms Pressel revealed she had received 'dozens' of complaints about the travellers, including cars being driven fast across the park, sometimes while children were playing, and a tethered goat and pony that sometimes wandered loose.

She said: "The county council ignored warnings from residents that I passed on in August.

"They replaced one of the bollards, but left a gap. I’m looking into why this happened.

"We are also investigating ways of making the site secure for the future.

" It is apparently very unlikely that they will come back this winter or that any other Travellers will arrive."

READ AGAIN: Caravan club mistaken for travellers at school

Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson Paul Smith responded: "The travellers did not access this site via a gap.

"They accessed it by removing a bollard. They subsequently removed several more bollards."

Police used a section 61 order to force travellers to leave the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday, before officers moved on the same group from Begbroke Science Park near Kidlington later that afternoon.