TRAVELLERS have again set up camp on a football pitch in Farnworth.

Around eight caravans are positioned at the top end of the field, near to Fern Street, along with several trucks.

Nearby residents say they saw around 20 men remove boulders last night after they had been placed at the entrance of the field by the council.

Bolton Council only removed travellers who had been on the field for nine weeks, on May 28.

One resident, from the adjacent Brook Street, said that she saw around 20 travellers arrive at 6pm last night.

“They came with a big wagon, lassoed the boulders to the side of the path and all drove on to the back of the field.

“We can’t believe it because the field has only been clear for two weeks.

“Let’s just hope that it doesn’t take as long as before to remove them.”

Another woman, who lives in Fern Street, said that the last time travellers situated themselves on the field, many people living nearby were scared to go on it.

She said: “Whenever people walked their dogs on there or children went to play the travellers used to drive them off with their scare tactics.

“They used to intimidate people until they wouldn’t dare go on the field any more.

“My 11-year-old boy nearly had his phone stolen and I have heard countless other similar stories of intimidation from them.”

A second resident in Fern Street, who has four children that like to play on the park, said that another prolonged stay for the travellers cannot happen.

“The council need to step it up,” she said. “Last time the people around here were lenient as we were told that one of the travellers had twins and so there was a welfare issue.

“Now though we will not tolerate it. Something needs to be done.”

From early April, a group of more than 10 caravans had situated themselves on the field.

Bolton Council were initially unable to serve an eviction order on them as one of the families had given birth to premature twins and so welfare took priority.

When they finally were moved on, the travellers abandoned two caravans, four propane bottles, a washing machine and leaving a large amount of rubble in one corner of the field.

It is not known whether the same travellers have returned as before.

A council spokesman said: “We do everything we can to remove travellers from public land as quickly as possible.

“We understand residents’ frustrations and we did put in place boulders following the last groups of travellers.

"Unfortunately these were physically removed.

“A steel height restriction barrier has already been ordered for the site and will be installed as soon as it is available to try and prevent future encampments.

“We are liaising with the police and we have started the process of serving the travellers with directions, which gives them 24 hours to leave.

“If they do not leave, we will apply for a court summons.”