TRAVELLERS who set up an illegal camp on a nature reserve have gone on their way – leaving behind large piles of rubbish.Council workers were today expected to visit the site at Felixstowe to start the clear-up operation.

By Richard Cornwell

TRAVELLERS who set up an illegal camp on a nature reserve have gone on their way – leaving behind large piles of rubbish.

Council workers were today expected to visit the site at Felixstowe to start the clear-up operation.

Two families in large caravans set up camp with their works vans and cars on Landguard Nature Reserve at Felixstowe.

The 58-acre reserve is home to some of Britain's rarest plants and a national Site of Special Scientific Interest.

The travellers, who gained access to the site from off Viewpoint Road where metal bar fencing had collapsed, said the they were staying a week while carrying out gardening, landscaping and tree pruning work in the area.

They were true to their word and moved off at the weekend, though it is not known where they are heading next.

They left behind one large pile of black rubbish sacks and old carpets, and also a pile of gardening rubbish.

Suffolk Coastal council, owners of the land, said it would be getting the broken fencing repaired to prevent further encampments.

It was a specialist job but officers would be pressing contractors to do the work quickly before travellers spread the word about the site.

The council has done its best to prevent travellers camping at almost every open piece of land in Felixstowe.

Fencing, height barriers, ditches and earth mounds have been used to prevent vehicles getting onto play areas, sports fields and recreation land.

But still the travellers seem to find unguarded sites. Last autumn they camped on part of the south seafront in Manor Terrace but now that has a ditch around it.

Landguard Nature Reserve – which sits between the North Sea and the port – is mainly a shingle spit. It is home to more than 375 different species of plants and one-third of all British grasses grow there.

Rare plants include sea pea and kales, yellow-horned poppy, and the endangered stinking goosefoot, which grows in only three places in England.