WHAT a mess! Travellers who had set up a controversial site on a Hampshire playing field for more than six weeks finally began to move out today.

But they left behind an eyesore likely to cost council tax payers thousands of pounds to clear up.

Rubbish littered the site, along with burned-out cars and refuse skips, huge piles of Tarmac and garden rubbish and gas cylinders. Even children's soft toys had been left on the turf where they had been discarded.

Today Eastleigh council leader Keith House, who also sits on the county council, which owns the playing fields, welcomed the news that two-thirds of the travellers had at last left the site.

He said: "It is excellent news that they have now finally moved on - the down side is the cost to the public purse of sorting out the mess that has been left.

"Every council in the country is feeling this now, but the government has been slow to act.

"We need strengthened powers to move people on and to pursue costs which otherwise get picked up by local taxpayers."

Today had been earmarked as D-Day for the travellers. Earlier this week a judge ordered that they should quit the county council owned land by today. But following the Southampton County Court hearing the travellers issued a defiant message to the authorities, saying: "You will have to drag us off."

About 30 caravans have been parked on the Monks Brook playing field off Stoneham Lane and the travellers' encampment has caused a flood of complaints.

Since their arrival the site has become an eyesore littered with refuse.

Members of the British Transport Club claim their adjoining sports field and clubhouse have suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Ford also had to find a new venue for the company's huge centenary party last weekend when it became clear that the BTC Sports Club was too badly damaged.

Deputy District Judge Arnold resisted attempts by Hampshire County Council's legal team to make the eviction order immediate, giving the travellers until today to move out.

But a travellers' spokesman told the Daily Echo: "Unless we are given a site a lot of people will be very reluctant to go. They will have to evict us and tow the caravans out."

However, just ten caravans remained on site early this morning, sitting among the mass of debris left by their departing colleagues.

Yesterday a county council spokesman said: "The travellers were given three days' notice that we were allowed to enforce an eviction notice on Friday. Once we have served the notice they are required to leave there and then. If they don't, the Sheriff's Office can organise to have them towed off the land."

Late yesterday it was unclear whether the eviction order would be served today, with the county council saying it depended on the availability of the Sheriff's Office.

The impending eviction was welcomed by Eastleigh councillor Chris Thomas who said: "It is about time that they went. They have been there for more than six weeks and they have outstayed their welcome.

"Almost every one of our councillors has had complaints about travellers. We do not consider these people to be gypsies or traditional Romanies but little more than itinerant workers. They are incurring vast costs to council tax payers and provide no real benefit to the community.

Fellow Eastleigh executive councillor Peter Wall said "The real reason that these people stay here is because local residents provide them with work. I would urge residents to only use bona fide companies."