A GROUP of travellers has moved off a car park at the Macron stadium.

Around 18 caravans arrived at around 6pm on Monday and are believed to have left on Tuesday night.

They had set up camp on one of the car parks next to The Linkway, opposite the new Next site.

The same group of travellers have now moved to The Valley lesiure park, off Crompton Way.

The Bolton News:

Travellers' ponies on the car park at The Valley

The car park is Bolton Wanderers' land and the club was liaising with the police and the Middlebrook Retail Park.

As well as the caravans, a number of vans and other vehicles were seen in the car park and motorbikes and quad bikes could also be seen.

Several dogs were running around the encampment and two ponies were also grazing next to the main road.

A spokesman for Bolton Wanderers said that the travellers had left by yesterday morning.

The encampment was the latest to appear in Bolton this year and over the summer, areas such as the Hulton Lane playing fields, Barlow Park in Sharples and Farnworth's Doe Hey Park all had groups park up.

However, despite being inundated with complaints from residents, council bosses said that the borough does not have a significant problem with travellers when compared to other local authorities.

Bolton Wanderers will host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday at the Macron.