Action is being taken to evict a group of travellers from Vista Road Recreation Ground in Clacton.

Eight caravans and a dozen vehicles turned up at the site at around lunchtime on Sunday shortly before a cricket match started, Tendring District Council (TDC) said.

The group pitched close to the railway line.

A TDC officer spoke to some of the travellers who said that they had booked onto a holiday park in the area but had been asked to leave, a TDC spokesman said.

The spokesman said that the travellers told the officer that they are on holiday and intended to stay until Wednesday when they would leave the recreation ground.

They also paid to use the showers at Clacton Leisure Centre.

One of the travellers asked for a Portaloo to be provided but the request was declined, the TDC spokesman also added.

TDC is working with the Essex Countywide Traveller Unit (ECTU).

• The news comes after another group of travellers pitched up in Colchester.

Paul Honeywood, TDC’s cabinet member for housing, said it is the second time travellers have camped on Vista Road Recreation Ground this year.

“There was a smaller group earlier this year and we also had a caravan park on the leisure centre’s car park for a few days,” he added.

“We will need to go through the laid down legal processes to get this latest encampment evicted and then tidy up the site after they have left.”

The travellers are due to be served with a direction to leave order, which gives them 24 hours to move.

If they refuse, the ECTU will serve a court summons with a date for a hearing, likely to be later this week or early next week, TDC said.