Both sets of travellers leave two city park sites

A GROUP of travellers were pictured packing up and leaving a leafy suburb of Cardiff last evening after the council placed a midnight deadline on them to move on.

Residents were furious after a group of travellers pitched up in a public car park close to their homes.

People living close to Pontcanna Fields said they were “absolutely gobsmacked” to see the group of caravans pull up at the car park on Friday afternoon.

After concerns were raised by local residents, Labour councillor for Riverside Caro Wild told one resident that Cardiff Council was doing “what we can”.

A Cardiff Council spokesman confirmed yesterday that travellers at Llandaff Fields had been moved on, and that those parked at Pontcanna Fields had until last night to do the same.

The spokesman said: “The travellers at Llandaff Fields have been moved on.

“They moved in on Tuesday and we started the unauthorised encampment protocol on Wednesday and they had until Saturday night to move on and they have.

“There were four caravans plus vehicles which moved out on Saturday afternoon and the council’s cleansing team have carried out a clean-up operation.”

Travellers were pictured last night packing up and leaving Fields Park Road, Pontcanna, with caravans being towed by vehicles.

The Cardiff Council spokesman added that a group of eight caravans had moved into Pontcanna Fields’ changing room car park on Friday night. The spokesman said: “On Saturday we started the unauthorised encampment protocol with them and as there are more than six caravans they have 24 hours to move out, otherwise the police have powers to evict them.

“We are working with the police, the travellers team and our legal team to work through this process.”