TRAVELLERS who pitched up at Clacton’s Vista Road Recreation Ground have now left the site before court action was taken.

The Essex Countywide Traveller Unit served a Direction to Leave notice on the group on Tuesday morning, which required them to move on within 24 hours of receiving the notice.

Paul Honeywood, Tendring Council’s cabinet member for housing, said he was pleased that they had heeded the warning.

“It is unusual that groups leave after receiving the first notice but that is what has happened on this occasion - and once or twice before this year,” he added.

“It seems that the threat of court action was enough to get the group to move this time.”

The travellers, with eight caravans and a dozen vehicles, turned up on the land owned by the council on Sunday lunchtime just as a cricket match was getting underway.

They set up close to the railway line about half way down the field.

Although all the vehicles have now departed, one caravan has been left behind.

An abandonment notice will be put on and it will then be removed once the notice period has expired.

Tendring Council said it will make sure that the land is cleared of any other mess left behind.