A COUNCILLOR has criticised “irresponsible” travellers who left behind piles of rubbish when they moved on from an illegal pitch.

More than 20 caravans pitched up in a car park off Nethermayne, Basildon, for two days last week.

After they left, Basildon town centre manager Hans Wusterfeld, whose company owns the site had praised the travellers for being “very good” and agreeing to go before legal action started.

However, his comments angered Basildon Council’s deputy leader Kevin Blake, one of three councillors who tried to stop the caravans getting on to the car park. They claimed travellers had driven their vehicles at them.

He said: “Most people wouldn’t class threatening behaviour and leaving piles of rubbish behind after illegally parking up on a piece of land as ‘very good’. They have been totally irresponsible.

“This has nothing to do with them being travellers. It would be the same whoever it was. They shouldn’t have been on the car park in the first place.

“I’m not afraid to be outspoken about people who break the law.”