Travellers move on to Clacton timber yard - Essex

TRAVELLERS have moved on to an abandoned timber yard in Clacton.

Around six caravans and several other vehicles moved onto the site in Oxford Road on Tuesday afternoon.

The site is private land and used to be a builder’s yard, but has been empty for several years.

Nearby builder’s merchants business Travis Perkins recently had a planning application approved and is set to move onto the site.

Ward councillor for the area Irene Tracey said: “I have received several calls from residents and they are very concerned.

“We have never had Travellers here before, and we are now working hard to check what the situation is here.

“The council is looking to contact the owner of the site to see if the Travellers have permission to be there or not, then we will move forward from there.”

Worried shopkeepers along Oxford Road have clubbed together to hire security guards to patrol the road at night.

The road will be patrolled from the end of business hours until the shops open again in the morning.