Travellers on Wicor Recreation Ground cost council £3,655 - with 12 tonnes of waste to clean up

Residents reported at least 15 caravans and 11 other vehicles, including cars, vans and trucks, parked on the recreation ground on Thursday, August 6.

A series of complaints about anti-social behaviour – including men showering naked in the street and excrement smeared across the recreation ground – allowed police to use Section 61 powers to move on the encampment on the following Wednesday.

In just seven days the encampment left behind 12 tonnes of waste – contributing to a £3,300 cost for Fareham Borough Council to deal with the issue.

A spokeswoman from the authority said: ‘This included staff and vehicle deployment, waste disposal costs and the replacement cost of two broken locks.’

The cost also included portaloos and bin bags provided to the site, with a further £355 spent on a court order application for the removal of the encampment.

Council leader Sean Woodward said council staff faced ‘the most appalling task’ cleaning the site – and called on the government to change the trespassing laws.

He said: ‘It is regrettable that these people choose to behave in such a thoroughly disgusting fashion, which included spreading their excrement across our public open space.

‘The sooner the government changes the law to make trespass a criminal offence the better, as the law is currently an ass – trespass is a criminal offence in the Palace of Westminster but not here in Fareham.’

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