TWO more groups of travellers have set up camp in Petersfield, forcing the closure of the recycling centre in Bedford Road and damaging playing fields at Penns Place.
Travellers have returned to Bedford Road, a site that was occupied for eight months earlier this year, less than three weeks after the previous incumbents were evicted, leaving the land owner with yet more legal costs.
A separate group arrived on the Penns Place playing fields at the weekend and East Hampshire District Council now faces another legal battle to have them evicted.
Petersfield police have reiterated advice to house holders not to employ people calling at their homes looking for work and to ask for official identification from anyone calling from utility or other companies.
Inspector Steve Sargent said: ÒWe advise householders not to accept offers from people who call round to the house looking for work.
ÒIf they need work done on the house they should contact a reputable dealer.Ó
He also warned householders not to be drawn out of their homes by unknown callers looking for lost cats or with similar stories.
Hampshire County Council was forced to close the recycling centre in Bedford Road on Tuesday afternoon after contractors advised it of a health and safety risk.
A spokeswoman for the county council said: ÒContractors felt there was a health and safety risk because of the heavy goods lorries moving around close to the travellers. They were concerned that there could have been an accident.Ó
The centre was reopened on Wednesday.
The site, off Bedford Road, is owned by the London-based property company Merivale Moore.
A spokesman for the company said: ÒWe have incurred considerable costs to date and we are now looking for support from East Hampshire District Council and the local police.Ó
Merivale Moore has already had to evict travellers from the site three times this year, with legal costs of several thousand pounds each time.
The spokesman said: ÒUntil you take an aggressive stance they will keep coming back and we need local police support for that.Ó
He said that the company had a lot of sympathy for local residents and was now seeking a more permanent solution with the help of the local authorities and police.
EHDC went to court on Tuesday to evict the travellers on the Penns Place playing fields.
EHDC spokesman Steve Bradley said: ÒThey have been served with an eviction notice and will be evicted on Thursday, but they normally go before that is necessary.Ó
Mr Bradley said that the council could evict travellers in four days.
He said: ÒWe have an efficient legal process that ensures they are removed as quickly as the law allows.Ó
EHDC has issued the travellers on the playing fields with their Code of Conduct in a bid to reduce the damage caused while the travellers remain on the site.
But its effectiveness will only be known once the visitors have left the site.
Mr Bradley said: ÒWe have to observe human rights. We have given them a copy of our Code of Conduct that includes a requirement that they take their rubbish away.
ÒWe want some understanding on the part of the travellers and we hope the code will have some impact.Ó
Last month EHDC announced that the clean-up bill for its own land had already reached £13,000 for this year.
This figure did not include the massive legal and clean-up costs met by Hampshire County Council, Petersfield Town Council and private land owners.
Petersfield Town Council is currently reviewing its budget allocation for clean-up and legal costs arising from traveller encampments on its land after suffering a huge clean-up bill earlier this tear when travellers settled on The Heath.