THE town's Labour group leader has welcomed new Government guidelines to help crack down on law-breaking itinerants.

Droitwich Spa town councillor Peter Pinfield (Lab, Droit.West) was delighted to hear that Home Secretary Jack Straw has told police and councils not to tolerate anti-social behaviour "in any circumstances".

New guidance on dealing with unauthorised traveller camps is designed to prevent problems such as the one in June when a band of travellers set up camp on land in Ombersley Road, Droitwich.

Their departure after one week sparked a massive clean-up operation at the expense of Spa taxpayers.

Under new guidelines police have been told to deal with breaches of the law as they would with any member of society.

And councils may start immediate moves to evict anti-social travellers who refuse to abide by a departure date from an unauthorised camp.

If travellers are not causing problems councils should consider providing temporary water, rubbish collection and toilets.

Cllr Pinfield said: "I welcome Jack Straws' tough attitude.

"No-one likes people who do not contribution to council and general tax and in Droitwich anyone who tries to camp illegally will be moved swiftly on."

Head of legal services at Wychavon District Council Ian Marshall also welcomed the change in guidelines.

"I particularly welcome being able to move more quickly when it comes to bad cases where travellers are breaking the law and behaving anti-socially," he said.

He added that many travellers posed no problems to communities, and they would be given extra time to move.