AN urgent review of the security of open spaces across Wellington is being carried out by the town council after ‘travellers’ invaded a field near the town’s Wellesley Park Primary School.

About a dozen caravans pitched up on the Hoyles Road green on Sunday (May 17) shortly after a barrier across the entranceway had been removed.

A Bristol-based company specialising in dealing with traveller incursions was immediately commissioned by the council to start the process of clearing the encampment.

Legal proceedings were being started on Monday morning to obtain an injunction to move the travellers on.

A council spokesperson said chief executive Dave Farrow was told about the travellers by neighbourhood policing Sgt Jon O’Connor at about 6.40 pm on Sunday.

The spokesperson said: “The chief executive immediately contacted GRC Group, based in Bristol, and contracted them to act on the council’s behalf to secure the removal of the travellers from the site as soon as practicable.

“GRC is a specialist group providing enforcement services and have previously been used to successfully manage the removal of a traveller encampment on land at Longforth Farm last year.

“A team will be visiting the site on Monday morning with a view to issuing appropriate eviction notices.

“As a result of this incident, we will be reviewing the security of all of our open spaces as a matter of urgency.”

On Monday morning, only about half-a-dozen caravans could be seen on the five-acre field, which lies between Webbers Close and the Oakfield Park housing estate.