Travellers turned a beautiful strip of greenery into a rubbish dump before clearing off from an unofficial site, an irate resident has claimed.

The 57-year-old claims she can no longer walk her labrador on the path between the A127 and Miles Gray Road in Noak Bridge as the area is now full of shopping trolleys and mountains of waste.

What a mess - Vivienne Bignall stands next to a pile of hardcore Picture: ROB BROWNE

Vivienne Bignall, of New Waverley Road, said: "It is heartbreaking to see such a mess when you know what the path is normally like.

"Travellers have been in this spot before but the mess has never been as bad as it is now."

Mrs Bignall now has to take her eight-year-old labrador Sunshine for alternative walks and was surprised the travellers should have been allowed to spend time in the attractive habitat in the first place. She said: "Basildon Council should have cleaned up the mess already."

A spokesman for Basildon Council said arrangements to move the travellers were made as quickly as possible: "We were able to successfully obtain an order for the land at the County Court on Friday and the travellers moved off on Sunday. Arrangements will be made to clear it as soon as resources allow."

Published Tuesday, July 1, 2003

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