A council has served noticed on travellers who have set up camp on open space in a residential area.

Dozens of caravans arrived on Hook Meadown in Walderslade Road, Chatham on Friday.

A few hours earlier, a similiar number of caravans had been seen leaving Beechings Playing Fields in Twydall Lane, in Gillingham, where they had been since Monday night.

Medway Council said it has served notice again on the travellers in Hook Meadow.

A spokesman said: “We are aware of the group and are following a civil legal process to move them on.”

Their appearance come after residents in Beechings Way called on the council to introduce tougher security measures to stop caravans being able to access the popular play area.

Caravans pitched up on the same fieldin Gillingham twice last year and five times in one month in 2019.

Last year new legislation was brought in to tackle illegal pitches on othe people’s land or in local communitites.

Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, police in England and Wales were given new powers to address harms caused by such unauthorised encampments and new guidance was published.

It comes amid a national shortage of gypsy and traveller sites with no plots currently available in Kent.