TRAVELLERS are expected to vacate a leisure centre car park by the weekend, more than a week after setting up camp there.

Five traveller caravans arrived on Perdiswell Leisure Centre car park, on John Comyn Drive, overnight on Friday (March 16), and Worcester City Council (WCC) is now taking the group to court.

WCC has issued the travellers with notices to attend a hearing at county court on Friday (March 23), where it is expected an eviction order will be issued.

A spokesman for the council said “officers are continuing to closely monitor the situation” in the meantime, after it served a direction to leave to the group, which fell on deaf ears.

“Five caravans arrived on the Perdiswell Leisure Centre car park site on Thursday night,” he told Worcester News.

“They are on the far side of the north car park, away from where the majority of the leisure centre’s customers park.

“Council officers attended on Friday and carried out welfare checks. At that stage, the travellers said they would leave on Monday.”

However, on Monday the group were still there and so officers served them with a direction to leave, which requires them to “leave the site forthwith”.

“We began possession proceedings on Tuesday,” continued the spokesman.

“Notices were served on the travellers requiring them to attend a hearing at Worcester County Court on Friday.”

He said at the coming hearing the council is expecting the court to issue an order “allowing us to evict the travellers with immediate effect”.

He added that one of the caravans left the site overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

A resident, who did not wish to be named, said the travellers “are taking up a lot of room” but said they did not have an issue with them being there.

“I don't mind them being there as long as they are clean and tidy, don't stop other people parking there and do not cause disruption.

“They have not caused any mess yet,” they added.

The Perdiswell Leisure Centre did not wish to comment when approached by the Worcester News.