WELLINGTON Rugby Club has moved heavy machinery to the back entrance of the Athletic Ground to prevent travellers from entering their ground.

The decision follows incidents in Taunton recently in which travellers invaded the main rugby and soccer grounds by parking their caravans and vehicles on the clubs’ main pitches.

Travellers threatened officials of both Taunton RFC and AFC and told them to open up washing and toilet facilities.

Wellington RFC coach Allyn Chetland said: “We took the precaution of blocking off the main entrance to the ground after hearing what had been happening in Taunton. Travellers moved in on our pitch at Beech Grove some years ago and the entrance to this field has been blocked permanently for some time.”

Head of football at Taunton Town Rob Dray said he was at the ground when the travellers turned up on Friday. He tried to stop them and they threatened him before he called the police. “Although they could hear the travellers’ on my phone they did not respond for five hours,” he said.

The travellers moved off the soccer club’s award-winning pitch on Sunday afternoon after being served with an eviction notice and were thought to be making their way to Cornwall for ‘fruit picking’.