TWELVE traveller caravans have taken over a car park close to Colchester Town train station.

The group, which includes young children, has parked caravans and a horse trailer at the back of the car park off Britannia Way.

Generators have also been set up at the site by the travellers, who are believed to be from Ireland.

They are blocking car parking spaces as they have parked around the edges of the 369-space, pay-and-display car park.

The caravans are parked a stone’s throw from Colchester Magistrate’s Court, in St Botolph’s Circus. A female traveller, who did not want to be named, said: “We got here Wednesday evening and we will be moving on today [Friday].

“We are only here for a little while. We haven’t been asked to leave.

“We are not doing any harm. We are out of the way of people.”

She declined to comment where they were moving on to.

A Colchester Council spokesman said: “We have been made aware of the travellers at this site and have contacted the Essex Countywide Traveller Unit, and are following the procedures to remove them.”

The unit aims to bring education, health and welfare services to Gypsies and Travellers and to supervise approved sites.

It also acts as the enforcement officer for those councils signed up to it.

On Monday, a group of six caravans were spotted on Colchester United Grounds at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Occupying privatelyowned or council-owned land is not a criminal offence, but is a civil matter.

There are a 12 local authority sites for gypsies and travellers in the county, managed by Essex County Council.

Colchester Council can apply for a court order to get the caravans moved on.

The process takes about ten days.