WITLEY Parish Council was hit by its second travellers incursion in a month, when a gate was broken and caravans moved onto Witley recreation ground at around 5pm yesterday (August 13).

Surrey Police attended the scene following reports travellers were encamped on the recreation ground, and Witley Parish Council alerted Waverley Borough Council to take enforcement action.

Witley Parish Council assistant clerk David Ralf, told The Herald this morning: “Waverley will issue an enforcement notice with the date they must leave. If they don’t leave, Waverley will apply to the courts.”

Travellers forced entry onto Milford’s Jubilee Field recreation ground on the night of Friday, July 13, but Waverley was unable to take action over the weekend and an enforcement notice was served on the following Monday. The travellers moved off the site a few days later.

There has been a significant increase in traveller incursions over the last few months across Surrey. Surrey Police Crime Commissioner David Munro has called for the urgent provision of transit sites in the county. Surrey, unlike other areas of the country has no transit sites to provide temporary official stopping places to deter travellers from moving onto other sites in the immediate area after enforcement action is taken.