AN unauthorised encampment of up to 18 caravans and associated vehicles that pitched up in Badshot Lea has been moved on by police officers.

Police stepped in to remove the travellers from the privately-owned site on June 27 using Section 61 powers.

Waverley borough commander inspector Gary Smith said: “There’s a specific police power, Section 61, which means that if there is an increase in antisocial behaviour or criminality that can be directly linked to an unauthorised encampment, then the police can act to move those people on who are forming that unauthorised encampment.

“We can only do that, however, once the landowner or their agent has attended and asked people to leave. In this instance, that did not happen until Thursday morning, at which point the agent for the landowner had come and said ‘please leave the land’.”

Within three hours the “majority” of travellers had left the site by 3pm, with “one or two caravans staying for a further two hours as someone was in hospital”.

Police Sergeant Andy Crane, part of the specialist neighbourhood team for Waverley, was there at the time and said there was a “little bit of congestion at the time of them moving”, due to a large number of vehicles being moved at the same time.

Although it is the responsibility of the landowner to secure the ground, police worked “in conjunction” with them to “help identify vulnerability” to minimise the chances of it happening again. Sergeant Crane said around “four huge concrete barriers” have been laid at the site.

The travellers have reportedly pitched up in Aldershot.