OUTRAGED neighbours fumed after travellers left a massive mess behind at two sites in Swindon.

A group set up camp in Lawn Woods while another site popped up behind the John Lewis in Bridgemead and the rubbish quickly piled up.

The borough council cleared away a mess which included a washing machine, nappies, beer cans, used toilet paper and human excrement.

A neighbour who wished to be anonymous said: “Everyone's disgusted and angry with how the travellers behaved while staying in the woods, we should not have to put up with this.

"We wouldn't mind if they kept the place tidy but they've burned the grass and left a mess. It's supposed to be a nice park but they come back every few months and cause havoc.

"There are children, families and dogwalkers who use the fields for recreation and they don't want to walk past the site, they're worried."

The group left the area on Thursday afternoon. Around the same time, 14 caravans appeared on the field behind John Lewis in Mannington and created a large pile of debris.

Neighbour Fiona Scott told the Adver: “It’s common for travellers to arrive there several times over the spring and summer months. They always leave a terrible mess behind that has to be cleared up by the council and paid for by us through council tax.

"This time was worse than normal - there was garden debris, fence panels, and pallets in a 60ft-long pile. There was a path into the field covered in wet wipes and human excrement, it's horrible and disgusting.

“Residents are fed up of it as we all walk around there regularly with our dogs. The footfall with runners and cyclists is especially high due to lockdown.

"Give it two or three weeks and they'll be back again and it's not like the council can send them a bill. They should block the entrance with stones so caravans can't drive onto the field.

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “Our teams were on-site at Lawns on Friday afternoon to clear away the significant amount of waste the group had left behind. We made arrangements to return to remove larger items including what looked to be the remains of a greenhouse.

“We installed some barriers at the two main access points to the site following the group’s departure. Unfortunately, due to the sheer size of the Lawns, it is impossible for us to seal all the entrance points at short notice, but we have spoken to residents to get their views and we will be assessing some permanent options over the next few days.”