Travellers' behaviour while illegally occupying former Nottinghamshire County Council depot on Kelham Road, Newark, leaves residents incensed

Travellers have quit the former Nottinghamshire County Council highways depot on Kelham Road, Newark.

The illegal occupation began on Thursday of last week.

At its height there were 18 caravans on the site.

The Travellers may have been in town for a funeral in Worksop.

Witnesses claimed to have seen the gate lock to the redundant site cropped and the gate itself replaced temporarily with one of the Travellers' own.

Police carried out a welfare check on the group.

Local residents claimed there was late night anti-social behaviour coming from the site and the buildings had been stripped of cabling and lead.

One said: "They've trashed the lot. It's like a rubbish tip.

"One of them was seen to crop the gate lock before they replaced the gate and added their own lock.

"They were stopping up until 3am drunk and pushing in shopping trolleys full of stuff.

"The vans were driving about and pulling up beside people's cars for a look inside and were driving up and down at all times of the night.

"The cabling from the buildings was being removed along with the lead.

"I'm incensed by their behaviour. How could they be allowed to get away with it?"

Landowner Nottinghamshire County Council has been approached for comment.