TRAVELLERS have set up camp in a town centre car park in Southend.

Twelve motor homes had arrived in the Seaway Car Park, Chancellor Road, by yesterday afternoon.

Southend Council told the Echo how officials will soon be sent to serve a notice for them to leave immediately.

However, a Pleasant Road resident, 46, who asked not to be named, said: “But they’ve been there since Saturday night, and more and more keep coming.

“Why is it taking the council so long to do anything?

“I use that car park asacut through, but I’ve stopped now, because their children have been playing football, having picnics, shouting things.

“I don’t know if they have been paying to park either.”

One worker at a nearby business said: “At first, a few of them turned up over the weekend, but most of them arrived early Monday morning.

“You do worry about more and more showing up if they don’t leave.I wonder if they are paying their parking charges?”

Martin Richardson, owner of Happidrome amusement arcade on Marine Parade, said: “There have been no problems, we often have travellers come down here.”

A decorator working at a house in nearby Herbert Grove, said: “I’d noticed them about two days ago and I thought they were just down from London for the day.

“There were only two or three caravans then. They haven’t been causing any trouble.”

The Echo tried to speak to some of the travellers, to ask them how long they were trying to stay, but one of the group said: “We don’t want to be in the newspaper,” and asked our reporter to leave them alone.

The council said it would not be issuing parking tickets but didn’t want to comment any further.