After the council and police got involved, a group of travellers have finally vacated a plot of land in Ashton where they had illegally set up camp for several days - but not without leaving a pile of rubbish behind.

The motorhomes first appeared on the field next to Springwood Way last Wednesday (23 June). 

Tameside Council officers moved swiftly to begin legal proceedings to enforce their removal. 

Ashton Waterloo councillor Vimal Choksi MBE, whose ward the land falls in, has been keeping residents updated on the situation on social media. 

He said the council approached the travellers on Monday morning (28 June) to find out if they were complying with the Direction to Leave notice which had been issued on Thursday. 

Cllr Choksi said they had initially refused to do so, therefore the council proceeded in obtaining a court order. Officers from Greater Manchester Police attended on Monday afternoon to ensure that the group complied with the order and the travellers have duly left the site. 

Cllr Choksi (centre) with residents who assisted with the clean-up operation. Image: Cllr Vimal Choksi. 

In an update on Monday evening, Cllr Choksi confirmed that the gates to the field have been locked and the court order remains in place for a three-month period, in case the travellers return or any other groups turn up at the site. 

After the travellers left a massive pile of debris on the field, local residents and a litter-picking group joined forces to give up their time to help clear it up. 

"I am pleased to hand over the field back to the community in a much better state following the pile of debris left by the travellers," Cllr Choksi said. 

"I was on the site with TMBC officers and police while seeing the travellers off and decided to clear up the site with the help of residents. Thanks to the Waterloo Wombles and local residents, who helped to remove a huge amount of litter including the stuff from the unique lavatory." 

The councillor went on: "I can confirm that the gate to the field has been securely locked in front of me by a TMBC officer and the rest of the pile of rubble will be removed by TMBC in the coming days.

"I can also inform residents that the court order is valid for the period of three months so any immediate attempts to regain the site by any groups will be enforceable with the same order.

"I want to thank residents for showing resilience in this situation. I also want to thank TMBC and police officers for their professionalism and hard work throughout this situation." 

The motorhomes which were on the site illegally for around five days. Image credit: Cllr Vimal Choksi. 

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