COURT action is looming for a group of travellers who set up camp on a Clacton playing field site.

Two caravans, three vehicles and three tents arrived in Burrs Road earlier this week, opposite the Burrs Road Cemetery.

They were issued with a Direction to Leave by Essex Countywide Traveller Unit, which gave them 24 hours to move on.

That did not happen and the ECTU has now served a court summons on the group which are on the land owned by Tendring Council.

They are summonsed to Colchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, August 1.

Paul Honeywood, the council's cabinet member for housing, said he was disappointed that the group had not complied with the Direction to Leave.

“We are now left with the situation of taking court action and the expectation is that the Travellers will move either just before, or on the day of, the court date,” he said.

“It is a shame that they did not move off within the 24 hours – as did the group that had set up an encampment on Council land off St Johns Road in Clacton.”

Tendring Council said it has received a number of complaints about the travellers at Burrs Road and will be left to clear up any mess left behind when they do eventually go.