TRAVELLERS who said they were set to leave a city nature reserve on Wednesday morning, were still at the site yesterday evening.

The French travellers, with their 10 caravans and associated vehicles, arrived mid-afternoon on Tuesday at the nature reserve near Laugherne Brook and Brookside Road.

One told the Worcester News that they had only stopped off in the city for a night, as they were travelling to France from Scotland and one of the caravans had a problem that needed fixing.

But in the early evening yesterday the travellers were still at the site.

A Worcester City Council spokesman said its staff had been out to the site, which is owned by the local authority, and had spoken to the travellers and were also told they would be leaving later that day.

The spokesman said: “We will be monitoring the site with interest.”

Police originally notified the authority as the council will need to serve them with a notice of legal action if they want to move them on.

PC Paul Slaymaker previously told the Worcester News officers had spoken to the travellers and they had received no calls regarding any anti social behaviour.

PC Slaymaker said: “If there are issues, the public should contact us.

"We will be monitoring the site.”

Tony Harris, a St John’s resident who regularly walks his dog at the nature reserve, said that he could not remember it ever being used as a travellers site before.