Travellers take over car park at Sainsbury’s (and the chickens came too!)

SHOPPERS were shocked when a group of travellers – and their chickens – took over a suburban supermarket car park.

A convoy of caravans and Range Rovers arrived at the Sainsbury’s in Colindale, North London, on Saturday.

The travellers’ dogs and chickens were allowed to roam freely, while one woman was seen hanging her clothes out to dry. Two caravans had even been rigged up to gas bottles.

The families had moved from the site by last night.

Last month, mourners had to make their way past a group of foul-mouthed itinerants after they set up camp at a busy crematorium.

Four caravans blighted the car park and were surrounded by dumped washing machines, fridge-freezers and rubbish, including used nappies.

One person visiting his mother’s grave at the Howe Bridge crematorium in Greater Manchester said the group shouted at him to ‘f*** off’.

Earlier this year, pupils returning from their February halfterm holidays to Shelley Academy in Birmingham were given an extra day off school when travellers – including up to 20 caravans with 60 adults, their children and dogs – illegally set up in the grounds.

Pupils were instructed to stay away, with Year 11 and sixth form pupils allowed to attend under a police guard.

Making themselves at home: Caravans with gas bottles attached can be seen in the car park, where the travellers’ scrawny chickens, inset, were roaming freely

Laundry duty: One of the travellers hangs out her washing in the North London car park