TRAVELLERS have been told to move on after setting up camp at a football ground.

But it may be another week before they can be evicted.

They have set themselves up on a field within the council owned Weston Homes Community Stadium, home of Colchester United, where they remain today.

Six caravans and associated vehiclesm, with about 30 travellers, arrived on Sunday.

Police visited twice as well as representatives from the club after fences were pulled apart to gain access.

Tim Waddington, general manager at the stadium, said: "I find the situation astonishing.
 
"To gain access to this land, these people have gone through a chained and padlocked wooden fence, dismantled metal fencing and driven their vehicles onto our land.

"They are now lighting fires on the land.

"Having been in dialogue with the police and council it seems there is nothing we can do ourselves and we must wait for the legal processes to take effect.

"It’s unacceptable and incredibly frustrating to all of us both as a local business and as local residents.
 
"The situation is already having an impact on our business and clearly we will have to take more extreme measures to secure our land – no doubt at considerable cost."

Any eviction can take between seven to 10 days however it is hoped a direction to leave may see them moved on by Thursday.
 

Fortunately the next fixture at the ground will be a cup match on October 7 by which time they should have moved on.

A spokesman for Colchester Council said: "If the travellers do not leave the site we will need to go through the courts to ensure their removal.

"If we have to apply for a court order the procedure will take between seven to 10 days."

Trespass is a civil not a criminal offence leaving police with limited powers to act.

However a legal team will be visiting the travellers and issuing a direction to leave which may see them moved on by Thursday.