A GROUP of travellers has been blamed for leaving a trail of rubbish in bushes after pitching up on land in Wickford.

Two caravans and a Transit van have moved on to a plot of land along Radwinter Avenue.

It comes a month after three caravans and three Transit vans parked up at Barn Hall car park, off Haslemere Road, before moving onto land off a roundabout in nearby Cranfield Park Road.

At first glance it appeared as though the rubbish has been bagged up into black bin liners, but a closer inspection of bushes surrounding the plot revealed waste including used toilet tissue had been left behind.

Kevin Blake, deputy leader of Basildon Council, said a specialist team of cleaners will now need to be drafted in.

He admitted it is unlikely the Tory administration will be able to take action against those responsible for the litter.

Mr Blake said: “No law abiding citizen leaves rubbish like this on land belonging to someone else. Whoever is responsible for this is scum.

“It’s disgraceful that residents are having to put up with this. It makes me sick to the core to thinking about people behaving so badly.”

Michael Mowe, Tory councillor for Wickford North, added: “There is no excuse for rubbish being dumped.

Pitsea tip accepts household waste, and it’s just down the road.”

Earlier this week the Echo revealed six caravans had left playing fields at Ballards Walk, Laindon, after 11 days.

Redrow Homes, which is building 135 homes on the land, began legal proceedings after the travellers broke through metal fencing to get onto the site.

Work on the development stalled, and the developer was forced to draft in security guard and dogs to protect the site.

Bags of rubbish left behind by the travellers onBallards Walk have been removed by Redrow.