TRAVELLERS that pitched up in a Weymouth car park for the Easter weekend have now left, leaving behind a pile of rubbish.

The group, who are from Dublin, left the Swannery car park on Monday afternoon. They arrived at the site on Good Friday.

Eight caravans and around the same number of cars had been situated next to the RSPB Radipole Lake nature reserve.

Michelle Williams, centre manager at the RSPB Radipole Lake Nature Reserve, and Luke Phillips, information officer, cleaned the car park after they left.

Describing the rubbish, Luke said: “It’s a mixture of everything: lots of nappies which are rather unpleasant, broken pictures which are quite interesting, and lots of general litter as well.

“On top all the usual car park litter we get on a bank holiday, it’s quite a lot.”

Michelle did allow the group to use the centre’s private bin in an attempt to limit the amount of litter left behind.

She said the area needed more public waste bins.

Michelle said: “There are no bins in or around this area even after I had a meeting with the council last year, who promised me there would be bins in the car park. It hasn’t happened.”

Bill White, borough councillor for Radipole, said he was pleased to hear the group had moved on.

He said: “I’m delighted. I still think they have been occupying places where you or I would have to pay.

“They should pay the going rate and they should abide by the rules that you and I have to adhere to.”

Cllr White suggested plans for a traveller site at Piddlehinton near Dorchester could solve future problems.

Dorset County Council submitted a planning application for the site in February, which is on land adjacent to the Piddlehinton Enterprise Park.

Cllr White added: “I look forward to the facility being available. They will then be able to use that instead of unsuitable places.” Liz Carruthers, from Southill, said she was disappointed to see that the Swannery car park had been occupied.

She said: “I’m not happy about it and I can see there’s an increase in the rubbish already.”

Meanwhile, another Weymouth resident who wished to remain anonymous said: “There’s a plan to build a new site. That will give them somewhere to park. They’ve got to park somewhere, haven’t they?”