A LARGE traveller encampment pitched up on the car park of Braintree Freeport.
At least 12 caravans moved onto the land, near to Braintree Swimming and Fitness, on Tuesday evening.
Essex Police and security staff from the shopping centre were made aware of the unauthorised encampment and are monitoring the situation.
One of the travellers said the group were on their way back to a camp in the Chelmsford area after going to a child’s funeral in Langford.
He said: “We are only planning to be here for a couple of days.
“We are planning to leave this week. It all depends, if we are told we have to go we have to go that is how it works.
“The police were down this morning and they have given us a warning about how we behave.”
Large encampments have made homes for themselves before at the shopping centre in both 2014 and 2015.
A spokesman for Braintree Freeport said: “Some travellers have parked in the Freeport Braintree car park in the last 24 hours.
“We are working with Essex Police and bailiffs to have then peacefully moved on from the centre as soon as possible.”
Managers of the Braintree Swimming and Fitness centre, Fusion Leisure, were unavailable for comment.
Braintree Freeport offers six hours free parking to customers in the area with penalties after.
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