Travellers set up camp in Portsmouth tax office car park

The group arrived at the car park at Lynx House, in Northern Road, Cosham, at about 8pm last night. Today there are 18 caravans and 20 cars on the site.

Police are working with Portsmouth City Council to issue an eviction notice.

Council leader Donna Jones said the authority had been in discussions with the group, who claim they will be leaving on Friday.

She said: ‘We sent an officer to the site to issue an official notice to leave. The police had also visited the site. We are now working to secure an eviction notice.’

Cllr Jones said they were also investigating reports that some of the vehicles were part of a group that set up camp nearby earlier this year.