GYPSIES have abandoned farmland in Winsford, leaving a trail of destruction at the site.

The scene of ruin they have left on the land at Road One, Winsford Industrial Estate, includes broken glass, syringes, paving slabs, litter, damaged fencing and huge piles of hedge cuttings.

They left at around midnight on Monday, waking residents nearby by beeping their horns and shouting.

Farmer David Percival, who rents the farmland which was invaded by the gypsies from Vale Royal Borough Council, was devastated by the state his land was left in by the travellers.

He said: "A few caravans started to leave at about 11.30pm and it went on until the early hours of the morning. I had had enough by 1am, went to bed and left them to it.

"They have dumped 30 or 40 wagon-loads of hedge cuttings on my land so they must have been busy working while they've been in Winsford.

"My farmland is an absolute mess. It's ruined and is a disgrace. The best way to describe it is that it's a write-off.

"We usually use the land for silage but now it will have to be ploughed.

"They have caused havoc on the industrial estate. Last night there were police next to every factory preventing the gypsies from trying to pitch their caravans there.

"They were driving round and round trying to find somewhere, shouting and beeping. There was still noise at 1am when I went to bed.

"It's a waste of time trying to prevent them parking on land because they will get in. I had taken security measures with a padlock and chain but they just cut it off."

The large congregation of around 40 caravans has now moved to land outside Hays Chemicals in Middlewich but small groups of gypsies have also settled next to Woodford Lodge High School, Focus DIY and Tesco in Winsford.

Clr Arthur Neil, leader of Vale Royal Borough Council, has revealed that the authority spends £10,000 a year dealing with the aftermath of the travellers and taking precautions to ensure they do not return to the same place.

He also described the havoc the gypsies have wreaked on the town this summer.

"The problem of travellers occupying land where they have no right to set up a camp is a national one," he explained.

"We cannot just tell them to move on. We have to go through a specific process of giving them notice to quit and if they do not, then we have to go to court to obtain a repossession order.

"But they know this and use the law to its maximum to stay as long as they can on the land they occupy.

"I'm aware of the very strong feelings of many people in Winsford who feel that the town is constantly being invaded by travellers.

"There's nothing we can do to speed up the process of regaining control of the land. It's a national problem and it needs legislation to make it illegal for them to simply take control of someone's land."

He added: "Every time we go to court in court costs it is £170. Last year we had a £10,000 gypsy budget which was exceeded and we have a similar budget this year which we once again expect to exceed."

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