CONGLETON Borough Council may be forced to apply to the county courts to move a traveller encampment from a plot of land in Middlewich.

A group of travellers arrived at Pochin Way last Wednesday and set up an encampment at the side of the road.

And on Monday afternoon, a second group of travellers arrived in the town and set up an encampment 200 yards away from the first site, at ERF Way.

David Palmer, assistant engineer for Congleton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council's joint highways committee, said the council had been to visit the site in Pochin Way and explained that the travellers had been served with a letter asking them to move by yesterday, Tuesday.

He said: "We have had several encampments this year already and most have been dealt with by the police and council talking to them and they have moved on in a few days."

He said that if the travellers do not comply with the request to leave the land, the council would then start court proceedings to move them.

A spokeswoman for Congleton Borough Council said the second group of travellers, in ERF Way, were due to be visited by a representative from the council to discover their welfare and health and education needs, yesterday.

She said: "They will be visited by an agency acting on behalf of the county council which will require them to leave by Friday. If they do not leave, court action will be taken."

l The encampment on Pochin Way was still in situe as the Guardian went to press t.