BOLTON Council are seeking a court order to evict travellers from a Westhoughton car park.

A number of caravans parked up on Ditchefield Car Park off Market Street earlier this week and  have apparently refused to move despite being issued with a "dispersal order" according to a local councillor.

Travellers set up camp on October 10.

Cllr David Wilkson said: "I have been dealing with Bolton Council since Sunday about this encampment.

“A direction to leave was served and that has been ignored.

“The council have obtained a court appearance on Friday at Wigan courts to obtain an eviction order.

“The court summons will be served on the persons camped on the car park.”

Neighbours who live close to the area are not happy with the travellers still being parked on the car park.

One said: “They arrived on Sunday afternoon and set up camp on the car park.

“They are taking up quite a few parking spaces, the car park is usually quite full most days.

“They are using the residents’ bins to put their rubbish in, so I have no idea what people are supposed to do when their bins are full.

“Their generators are noisy at night. They have no respect for anyone. They still haven’t been moved on. Would love to know why.”

Another resident said: “I don’t know why they aren’t leaving but usually they’re gone by the time the council get a court order.”

Cllr Bernadette Eckersley Fallon (Westhoughton North and Chew Moor), who was the first to report the illegal encampment, said she knew the council were going to get a court order, but was unsure whether this had yet taken place.