THOUSANDS of pounds of taxpayers’ cash has been spent on evicting travellers off public land since 2010, new figures show.

Figures obtained from Bolton Council using the Freedom of Information Act show there have been at least 26 incidents in which travellers have trespassed on council land, costing the public almost £10,000.

Crompton Lodge Caravan Park in Loxham Road, near Little Lever, was the scene of the most expensive evictions.

This is largely due to the fact that — unlike at other sites where evictions have taken place — some families are allowed to live there, so proving people are there illegally is more complex.

This year, £2,234 was spent on evicting people from the site, while it cost £350 to get an order to remove caravans at Johnson Street car park next to the train station, £293 at Waters Meeting Road and £287 at Breightmet Street car park.

Other patches of land where travellers moved on have included Moss Bank Park, Great Bank Road in Westhoughton, Hall Lane in Farnworth, Hulton Lane and Manchester Road.

They also turned up at Leverhulme Park, Hill Top in Little Lever, Grosvenor Street, Folds Road, Waters Meeting Road, Kay Street and a patch of land outside the former Williams garage in Bradshawgate.

When people move on to public land illegally, the council obtains a county court order to start the eviction process.

Once the order has been served at the site, the trespassers must leave within 48 hours.

In 2009, an independent report recommended Bolton increase its number of legal pitches for travellers from 114 to 224.

However, town hall bosses predicted that would cost £12.87 million.

The reports shows that, of the ten Greater Manchester areas, Bolton has the second highest number of legal pitches, behind Salford.

The report's authors, 4NW, placed more emphasis on those authorities with fewer pitches to do more.