TRAVELLERS have defied a legal notice to quit a popular beauty spot.

A large group have been camped at Rivacre Country Park since Thursday, but have ignored the borough council's formal notice demanding they leave.

As a result, the council is now set to take the travellers to court in order to remove them by next weekend.

A number of people have expressed their concerns over the mess they are causing and the damage to the park.

One resident said: 'They arrived last Thursday and have made a terrible mess. There is excrement everywhere and gas tanks dumped all over the place.

'It's a health hazard. Nobody can go on there now, I'm worried it will never be the same again.'

A borough council spokesperson said: 'We issued the travellers with a formal notice on Friday giving them two days to clear the land.

'Unfortunately, the notice does not include a Sunday so they were required to leave on Tuesday (yesterday).

'As they have not left we will now make an application to the courts and hope to get a hearing on Friday. If that goes to plan they will have to make way over the weekend.'