A COUNCILLOR has spoken of his frustration after a group of travellers set up camp in a town centre lorry park just feet from a car park where travellers were evicted a month ago.

Sudbury town councillor John Sayers said he was annoyed at the ongoing cost of dealing with illegal traveller settlements, after the latest encampment of eight caravans became established in the lorry park next to the town’s Waitrose store.

“Every time we have to move people it costs the taxpayer. Travellers should be made to pay this cost like anyone else, but they rarely do,” he said.

“Farmers are also having to spend money to prevent travellers settling on their land.”

At Sudbury’s Waitrose store, duty manager Stuart Ramsey said there were also safety concerns for children from the group, who might be playing in an area where lorries were coming and going.

The current traveller settlement follows similar caravan camps in recent months on Sudbury’s Friar’s Meadow, the picnic site at Rodbridge and the Kingfisher Leisure Centre car park, which, like the lorry park, is owned by Babergh District Council.

A council spokeswoman said the travellers had already ignored a notice to move, which was served late on Friday afternoon.

She added: “Babergh has moved to obtaining a court order to evict the travellers from the lorry park.”

The court order application would be heard this morning at West Suffolk Magistrates’ Court, she said.