Business bosses say they cannot re-open until a large group of travellers have left a seafront site, after multiple reports of the group causing issues and forcing firms to shut.

Paul Thompson who runs Pebbles One Cafe and Baskin Robbins on Southend seafront said he cannot re-open and will not until the group leaves the Rendezvous Casino car park at the Kursaal site.

He said: "The travellers have been terrorising our businesses including mine and our pubs too. They've been threatening to kill my staff and we've had to call police a few times too. It's not good enough and police and Southend Council are not doing enough.

"I do not want to open until they've gone - my staff have been crying and don't want to work due to the abuse and threats. They're very intimidating. We were shut for a long time due to Covid-19 and now we've got all this."

His comments come as Adventure Island confirmed yesterday the had been "told" to close early as a result of the encampment.

Essex Police said officers have ordered the travellers to leave by today and officers are carrying out patrols to reassure the community.

A spokesman said: "Since receiving calls about an unauthorised traveller encampment in the Kursaal area of Southend we have been working with our local authority partners to resolve the situation and identify the landowner. Unauthorised encampments are a civil act of trespass and in the first instance landowners have powers get an encampment to move on.

>> Travellers ordered to leave Kursaal site by police

"We cannot act to direct an unauthorised encampment move off land until the landowner has taken reasonable steps to get an encampment to move. In this particular case it took some time to identify the landowner.

"Uniformed officers have been in the area to provide a visible presence to reassure and engage with the community. A Section 61 Notice has now been served to the encampment directing them to leave the site by lunchtime tomorrow. A visible police presence will remain in the area until that time to provide reassurance to the community."