BOURNEMOUTH town centre was on lockdown yesterday after disorder at a number of businesses was linked to travellers at the Glen Fern Car Park.

On Monday night, pubs and bars across the town closed early after problems began at The Inferno and The Christopher Creeke in Holdenhurst Road.

According to reports from bar staff, The Brasshouse in Westover Road, The Moon in the Square, The Mary Shelley in Hinton Road, The George Tapps and O’Neill’s in Old Christchurch Road and Buffalo in Holdenhurst Road were also affected. Workers at an indoor play centre affected called the situation a "nightmare".

Traders yesterday alleged fights broke out and children tried to order drinks at pubs and bars in the town. An alert was initially given by staff at The Mary Shelley during the evening after around a hundred people arrived and began to pull themselves pints and “throw things around”, it is claimed.

The Mary Shelley was closed for the morning yesterday, but reopened during the afternoon with police and town rangers standing on the door.

Oasis, a play centre directly opposite the car park in Glen Fern Road, had also closed its doors after an incident on Monday afternoon. One member of staff said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare.

“I don’t think we’ll reopen until the travellers have gone.”

Councillor Eddie Coope, a former Bournemouth mayor, said: “A group has trashed Oasis. The owners are absolutely livid and it’s unacceptable.

“It’s one of the busiest times of year for businesses in Bournemouth and this group has caused mayhem.”

Laser Quest. which is also opposite the car park, was also closed to everyone who had not pre-booked a visit.

There were some 25 vehicles - most of which were caravans - in the car park. The group left the site yesterday afternoon.

A spokesperson from Bournemouth council said: “We had secured a court date for Friday, but the group has now left the car park.”

A number of PCs in uniform patrolled the town centre and Glen Fern Road yesterday. One officer told the Daily Echo police had been ‘given the runaround’ by the group, who staged water fights in the street.

The manager of a Holdenhurst Road bar told the Daily Echo of "a really tense, bad atmosphere".

"We’ve got to have security on the door every night under the terms of our licence, so we had no trouble at all, but not everywhere else is obliged to and they were caught out by it," he said.

"We struggled because some of the people wanting to buy drinks looked like kids, and you just can’t take any chances with that."

Paul Kinvig, chief operating officer of the Bournemouth Town Centre Business Improvement District, called the allegations a “delicate situation”.

“Anything that is detrimental for our businesses is very bad news, especially at this time of year,” he said.

The head of Bournemouth council’s licensing board has called on the police to thoroughly investigate the events of Monday night.

Councillor David Kelsey said town centre bars were “very well run” and any trouble was likely not the fault of residents.

“If there is CCTV I would expect the police to seize it and take action, we wouldn’t allow this from our usual holidaymakers,” he said.

“I don’t think it should be allowed from travellers, if indeed it was them.

“These businesses are relying on their income this summer season as it has been quiet in the last few years.”

Town centre councillor David Smith said: “It is very sad that this traveller encampment caused so many problems in the town centre, and extremely frustrating for businesses to have to close at a busy time of the year.

“This once again highlights the issue of the law regarding travellers, it is high time the Government changed the law so we can better protect our communities.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman for JD Wetherspoon said: “We can confirm that the Mary Shelley closed early Monday evening, at 10.30pm, for safety reasons, due to a disturbance at the pub.

“The decision was also taken to close The Christopher Creeke and The Moon in the Square earlier than usual, for the safety of our staff and customers and to prevent any further disturbances.”

“The security and safety of our staff and customers is paramount and we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour.”

Police in Bournemouth say they will not tolerate anti-social behaviour.

Although officers didn’t suggest that any pubs or clubs close on Monday night, traders were “reminded of their right to refuse admission”, a spokesperson said.

“Dorset Police received reports of anti-social behaviour in Bournemouth town centre involving a large group of people on Monday,” he said.

“No criminality was reported. We received further reports of anti-social behaviour in the town centre the following day, Tuesday, believed to have involved the same group.

“Crime and anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated and we have deployed extra resources and patrols in the town centre. This will continue into the evening.

“We fully understand how anti-social behaviour can have a detrimental impact upon the community.”