A group of travellers who pitched up in an Ipswich car park on Sunday afternoon have left of their own accord.

Eleven caravans arrived at the West End Road car park near the town’s railway station over the weekend – just a month after eight caravans spent almost a week at the borough council-owned site.

The travellers had pitched up towards the back of the pay-and-display car park, based at the former Zest and Hollywood nightclub.

The group left the site of their own accord at around 8pm today, a council spokesman said this evening.

One driver who parked at the site on Monday morning before going to 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.

He added: “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.”