A GROUP of travellers who set up camp in Wiltshire Road said they were forced to move onto the area of land because of a lack of space in council-run gypsy sites.

Piles of rubbish have been left at the site next to a children's playground and recycling area after the travellers left on Tuesday morning.

Kelly Lee, who is originally from south Ireland, said the group had been travelling around the south of England looking for work and had been turned away from sites run by Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) because they were full.

She parked her caravan on the site, behind the industrial estate, along with two other caravans and a four wheel drive vehicle.

Miss Lee, who has four children aged between nine and 18, said: "We have nowhere else to go. If we were homeless the council would have to find us temporary accommodation.

"We're not planning to stay here long and we will tidy up when we leave, that's why we employ a groundsman.

"We're not doing anyone any harm and it's unfair to paint everyone with the same brush."

Police were called to the site when the travellers moved onto it on Saturday, but did not move them on because there were less than six vehicles.

Inspector Dave Evans, based at Marlow police station, said: "When travellers arrive in our area we visit them to do a site assessment. We go to see how many people and what vehicles are there.

"We serve the travellers with a notice of expectation of behaviour, a sort of code of practice on issues such as litter.

"The police do have some powers to move people on if necessary, but there needs to be a balance between their needs and rights and the needs of the community."

Gary Deacon, BCC gypsy and traveller services officer, warned that sites were nearly full and there were no current plans to increase the number of pitches.

He said: "We have very few vacancies at the moment and we are trying to evict some people from our site."

Mr Deacon said the provision of sites was in line with Government guidance.

He said: "If people come from Ireland and the rest of Europe and turn up without anywhere to live, is Bucks County Council expected to house them all?

"The problem of illegal encampment has been decreasing in the past few years. Five or six years ago we were overrun with illegal camping all over Bucks.

"A lot of them have bought their own land now so the problem has been reducing year on year."

Caravan owners are vetted before they are allowed to rent a council pitch.

The council provides 81 caravan pitches across six sites in Bucks. These include Wapseys Wood in Beaconsfield, West Hyde Lane in Chalfont St Peter and Copperkins Lane in Amersham as well as some in Aylesbury, Iver and Farnham Royal.