AN angry councillor has written to the Prime Minister demanding answers after being told a group of travellers pitched up on council land will not be moved during the coronavirus crisis.

Gerard Oxford has contacted Boris Johnson and Colchester MP Will Quince about a group which have set up camp on land in his Highwoods ward.

Four caravans arrived on land next to Highwoods Youth Centre, off Highwoods Approach, over the weekend.

The land is owned by Essex County Council and Mr Oxford reported the group to the Essex Countywide Travellers Unit.

But he has hit out at Government red tape after being told by County Hall a Government directive meant no travellers were being moved from council sites during the pandemic.

Mr Oxford said: “It is a total mess. The Government has issued a directive saying illegal encampments are not to be referred to court during the crisis.

“Essex Countywide Traveller Unit has confirmed this is the case and they are saying they will not be removing them at the current time.

“My residents are going nuts already because if they did anything wrong they would be jumped on from a great height.

“We are well and truly stuck and residents are annoyed they pay their taxes but seem to get no protection.”

Mr Oxford is concerned the Government rules will mean an extended stay on site for the group.

He said: “I don’t understand the rule.

“It is supposed to be to prevent the spread of coronavirus but they have had to travel to get here in the first place.”

It comes days after travellers pitched on the car park of the Rovers Tye pub, located opposite the youth centre.

It is not known if the groups are the same.

A spokesman for Essex County Council said it was following national guidelines.

He added: “This states that they should only be moved on if the overall risk of them staying where they are exceeds the risk posed by moving them and the associated potential spread of the virus.

“In the case of the encampment at Highwoods, it has been decided, in combination with Essex Police, to take no further action at this time.”

The council added the new rules will only be reviewed when Government guidance is changed.

He added: “While to date there has been some easing of the Government’s lockdown measures, there has been no change to this guidance and therefore any unauthorised encampments in Essex will continue to be reviewed within this context.”