RESIDENTS have spoken of their disgust at travellers who left behind mounds of rubble, rubbish and human faeces when they were evicted from a popular park in Southampton.

Clear-up costs are estimated to have set the City Council back by several thousands of pounds.

The group of about 12 vans had been at the site at Archery recreation ground in Archery Road, Woolston, for almost two weeks.

It is the latest in a long line of cases which have cost taxpayers in Hampshire hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The worst recent case was the £10,000 it cost to clear a sports ground next to St Mark's Junior School in Shirley in October last year.

Council officials and police evicted the Archery Road travellers on Wednesday. They are believed to be the same group who moved on to a staff car park at the Ford plant in Swaythling yesterday.

Workmen then began clearing the mess from the Archery recreation ground. The turf was severely cut up by travellers' vehicles.

Neighbouring residents said they were pleased the travellers had been moved but were appalled by the mess they had left behind.

Roy Bovis, 85, of Archery Road said: "They didn't cause us any trouble while they were here but I'm very pleased to see them go. I've lived here for 50 years and this is the first visit we've had - I think some concrete posts should be put up around the park.

"I certainly don't feel good about the fact that the taxpayer has to pay for the mess to be cleared up."

Ian Cole, 41, also of Archery Road, said: "Apart from the mess they left you wouldn't have known they were there. I've got two dogs and I've had to walk them elsewhere, which isn't very convenient.

"I work full time, they come along and make a mess, and we have to pay for it."

A Southampton City Council spokesman said: "We are glad the travellers have moved on. They were there illegally.

"It took us several days to go through the legal process to get them evicted. It's sad that they leave rubbish behind and equally sad that the resources of the council have to be deployed to clear it up.

"However, it's the council's responsibility to keep the environment as clean as possible and that's why work is now being done to remove what the travellers have left behind."

When asked if the council would take further legal action against the travellers, a spokesman said: "We are looking into it."

Meanwhile, bosses at Ford were today consulting lawyers in order to get the travellers off their land.

A spokesman confirmed that about 12 caravans had moved on to a staff car park at the plant in Wide Lane, Swaythling.

He said: "We are taking legal advice to see what our options are."