Clean-up efforts have got underway after travellers left a leisure centre car park.

Council workers with litter pickers and bin bags have been picking up rubbish left behind by travellers this morning (Thursday)

Eleven caravans had been camping on the Perdiswell Leisure Centre car park before leaving yesterday evening (Wednesday)

Police and Worcester City Council had given the group a deadline of 5pm to vacate the site - but they eventually moved on a couple of hours later.

Several black bags filled with litter have been loaded onto city council trailers.

The group had been camping on the centre's car park since Sunday.

Leisure centre staff and other people using the sports centre and surrounding fields formed a human chain to stop the caravans entering the site.

West Mercia Police was eventually called and the travellers and officers had a tense stand off which caused traffic chaos along Bilford Road.

Cars were backed up as the police and travellers blocked the entrance to the car park.

Eventually, police decided to move the vans to let people leave the car park which also led to the caravans making their way onto the site.

The vast majority of the rubbish left behind has been put in black bags and council officers are now making arrangements for the site to be cleaned and tidied.

Meanwhile, the height barrier at the entrance to the car park has been reinstated after it was damaged.

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A council spokesperson confirmed that the lock on the barrier had been cut.

The travellers are now legally restricted from returning to the site within three months.

A Worcester News reporter visited the car park shortly on Wednesday - the deadline they were given to leave.

At 5.30pm, there were 11 caravans still parked at the site with washing lines out and children playing.

People reported they had left the site at about 7.30pm and claimed they were "heading to the M5 motorway".

Perdiswell Leisure Centre remained open throughout and classes and facilities were running as normal.