Eleven caravans have pitched up at a car park near the railway station in Ipswich – just a month after eight caravans spent almost a week at the borough council owned site.

Ipswich Star: Travellers have moved in to the West End Road Car Park near Ipswich train station. Picture: ARCHANTTravellers have moved in to the West End Road Car Park near Ipswich train station. Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

The travellers moved onto the site towards the back of the pay-and-display West End Road car park, based at the former Zest and Hollywood nightclub.

They arrived on Sunday afternoon, a spokesman for Ipswich Borough Council (IBC) confirmed.

At least one of the caravans has parked across several car parking spaces.

A spokesman for Ipswich Borough Council, which runs the car park, said: “We have already begun the necessary steps to recover the site.”

A group of eight caravans spent almost a week at the car park in late May/early June.

On that occasion, the authority launched legal proceedings and the travellers left before a County Court hearing.

The cost of the six-day encampment is not known because the travellers left voluntarilly before the hearing.

A Suffolk Constabulary spokesman said the incident was reported to them at 5.10pm on Sunday. The force is monitoring the situation and liaising with IBC, the force spokesman added.

One driver who parked at the site on Monday morning for work said: “I couldn’t believe my eyes.There were at least a dozen large caravans taking up many, many spaces in the car park.

“They looked comfortable and like they had been there for a while, with dogs and kids running about and washing hanging up to dry.

“Hard-working people pay to use the car park, but here are around a dozen spaces no-one can use because travellers are living there, presumably free of charge, until they are finally moved on.

“I think it is disgraceful and should be prevented from happening again. This is a completely inappropriate place to pitch-up.”