TRAVELLERS have set up camp at two sites in Weymouth.

A convoy of five caravans, three trucks and several cars moved into a field off Chickerell link road late on Monday night.

Another camp was also set up near the New Look headquarters in Mercery Road.

Police officers spoke to around 20 travellers living in Chickerell yesterday following complaints from nearby residents.

Later in the day a swathe of other vehicles arrived to set up camp in the field.

One traveller at the site, who did not wish to be named, said he and his fellow travellers plan to move on to Blandford soon for the Dorset Steam Fair.

He added: “The police were down here asking us when we are going to move on.

“I’m from Gloucester but we’ve come down here from Lyme Regis.”

Nearby residents in Putton Lane expressed their concern over the travellers’ presence.

Retired Weymouth and Portland Borough Council highways foreman, Bill Corlett, 58, said: “I’ve already seen them going into the bushes to go to the toilet, they just do whatever they want.

“They say they’ll be gone by Saturday but they know the law back to front – they could be here for three weeks, four weeks or more.

“There’s lots of common land round here, so why do they have to break into private land to set up camp?”

Another resident, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said: “They must have broken the chain on the gate to get in.

“I’m worried that if I speak up I’ll end up getting a brick through my window.”

Landowner Mickey Jones of DJ Contracts said: “They did not ask permission before coming onto the land.

“Landowners such as myself are probably going to have this problem for the rest of the summer.

“It’s not really the landowner who is the victim as such in these cases, it’s the people who live nearby.”

Charlie Johnston, who lives near the travellers’ Mercery Road site, said: “I wish to point out my objection and annoyance that the police have willingly allowed travellers to remove the temporary blockade allowing them to illegally park on private grassland adjacent to New Look.

“Criminal damage has already occurred and local residents should be on guard for nuisance behaviour.”

A Dorset Police spokesman said: “Police have received reports that travellers are occupying private land at sites on Putton Lane and Mercery Road.

“These sites are privately owned and as such this is a civil matter.

“Negotiations continue between the land owners and the travellers, assisted by the local council and Dorset Police.

“It is understood that the travellers will leave by Saturday this week.

“Dorset Police continues to monitor the situation.”