Action is being taken to evict travellers who have set up camp in the middle of a popular park.

Council officials say the dozen caravans and assorted cars and trucks arrived soon after the lock on the barrier at Langer Park, Felixstowe, was broken.

It is the second year travellers have camped without permission on the park in Langer Road – last year they moved on immediately after the carnival finished.

A Suffolk Coastal spokesman said the process to remove the current group was already under way.

He said: “We are fully aware of the inconvenience this may cause regular users of the park and we would like to reassure local people that we will be working with our partners at Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Constabulary to resolve the matter as soon as we can, within the current legislation.

“Our staff have already visited the site to begin the process of removing the occupants as soon as possible.

“However, this is not a quick process. Before any action can be taken, we are required by law to carry out a welfare audit, together with Suffolk County Council, to establish the wellbeing of the occupants.

“If we do not follow this process fully, any necessarily legal action in the future could be rendered null and void.

“Providing that no issues are identified during the welfare audit, appropriate action will then be taken to remove all the travellers, their vehicles and possessions from the site at the earliest opportunity.”

The council said the park barrier was locked but the lock was broken off over the weekend.

Anyone with any information about who broke the lock should contact police on 101.