Travellers have moved on from a disused factory site in Worcester - leaving large amounts of rubbish behind.
About 20 caravans and other vehicles had been parked at the former Lotus Lightweight Structures site in Williamson Road over the Christmas weekend.
Residents claimed police with 'riot gear' were called at one point after travellers locked a gate across the road, blocking the only entrance to a nearby housing estate.
Residents said they had been verbally abused, had things thrown at their cars and had seen incidents of fighting.
The travellers have now left the site but large amounts of rubbish has been left behind, including Christmas trees and decorations, and what appeared to be notice of a High Court order referring to the area as ‘Woodside Point’, naming the claimant as Lotus Lightweight Structures Limited and the defendants as “persons unknown”.
When the Worcester News visited the former factory on Tuesday (December 28), a security guard parked in a van said it was his first day at the site.
Reporting on the anti-social behaviour taking place over the weekend, the Worcester News told how locals had feared for their safety as travellers were involved in a stand-off with police.
"They (the responding officers) had to wait for police with what looked like riot gear as back-up before opening the gates on a public road,” a resident told us. “How do you think we local residents feel?
"The gates were locked another couple of times after the police opened them.
"The travellers have simply ignored the order. How can they be allowed to just do that? Law abiding citizens are being left to put up with this and suffer.
"We know police have the power to move them on but they're too scared. It is disgusting that this is allowed to continue."
West Mercia Police say the travellers were moved on yesterday and distanced themselves from claims riot police attended the scene.
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