WHAT a mess.

Environmental health bosses at Southampton City Council are due to begin a massive clean-up operation on Monday following the eviction of a group of travellers from a field next to St Mark's Junior School in Shirley.

Courts granted the City Council permission to remove the group last Thursday - four weeks after they first moved on to the ground next to the school in Stafford Road.

Now council chiefs are facing a huge clean-up bill which could run into thousands of pounds.

City chiefs served an eviction notice on the travellers after owners of the land, the Civil Service Sports Council, failed to take action to remove the travellers. Environmental health bosses hope to recover the costs of the clean-up operation from the Sports Council once the clean-up has been completed.

Rubbish including old mattresses, used car tyres, broken televisions and empty gas bottles littered the site as council officials moved in to survey the damage yesterday.

City health bosses sealed off the site as soon as the last of the travellers left before the court deadline of 4pm was reached. Parents with children at the school - which used the site as a playing field for youngsters - breathed a sigh of relief that the travellers were at last on their way.

But there was anger that moves were not made earlier to evict the travellers from the field.

Melissa Gordon, 34, of Chessel Crescent in Bitterne said: "It is absolutely disgusting. They should have been moved on well before now - especially as there is a school right next door."

Another parent, David Maunder, 41, of Saxon Road, Freemantle said: "What they have left behind is disgusting but it is just a relief they have actually moved on."

Stafford Road resident, Toru Tsuzaki, 21, said: "I am pleased that they are going but to be fair, they have not caused any problems to us."

The eviction alone could cost city taxpayers up to £10,000 because of a legal wrangle over who should evict the travellers.

Southampton City Council's Cabinet member for communities and regeneration Councillor Liz Mizon said: "I am glad this situation has been resolved but there is obviously an awful lot of clearing up to do at the sports ground.

"I don't believe the travellers would have moved without the robust action by the city council and the courts."