OFFICIALS will serve a summons on an illegal traveller encampment at a Branksome Chine car park today.

The Travellers moved onto the site two weeks ago, much to the annoyance of local residents.

Borough of Poole officers served direction orders on the 13 caravans present on Friday and have court time booked for tomorrow to secure an eviction order should the travellers remain, the Daily Echo understands.

Jeff Morley, Borough of Poole team manager, said: “Since their arrival we have been visiting the site most days to provide refuse sacks, assess the behaviour of the travellers and reduce any impact on the local area.

“We are now using the legal process to ensure their eviction as soon as possible and we envisage this will happen by the middle of the week.”

The travellers will have 24 hours to vacate if they are served with an eviction order.

Initially, ten traveller caravans and one motor-home moved onto the Beach Road car park at Branksome Chine, Poole, on April 17.

The travellers were still on the site yesterday afternoon.

Travellers formed an encampment at the same car park in 2008, prompting calls from local residents to install height restriction barriers at the Beach Road and Western Road car parks.

However, the borough elected not to install any such barriers.

After the latest encampment sprang up, one Branksome resident, who asked not to be named, told the Echo: “Hopefully they won’t be in this car park for too long.

“It is pretty worrying for locals and we hope we don’t develop a situation where numbers grow and grow.

“I cannot see any visitors feeling confident enough to leave their cars there until these travellers have left.”