A NEW charter to advise town and parish councils how best to deal with illegal travellers could be adopted in Droitwich Spa.

The town's planning committee discussed taking up the charter at its meeting on January 17.

The document aims to encourage town and parish councils across middle England to share their knowledge of how to deal with illegal gypsies.

Droitwich has had a long-running problem with travellers setting up sites without permission in Wychbold, Upton Warren and Hampton Lovett.

Launching a charter was first discussed at a meeting of several parish councils last September. Members of Cleeve Prior Parish Council spearheaded the idea.

The charter will not only improve lines of communication between councils but will also help them find suitable legal representation, should they need it.

Councils could be asked to pay into a central fund from its precept and managed by an elected body. The money could help a council in need pay for legal representation.

The report states that if every council in the area pays £250 the fund will generate £17,000.

Councillor Richard Morris, planning committee chairman, said: "This is a national issue, not a local issue.

"It is an opportunity to network and find answers if illegal traveller become an issue for us at anytime."

He said it made a lot of sense to approve adoption of the charter.

Spa mayor, Cllr Ann Taft, added: "I do think we amply supply these sites in Worcestershire.

"There are sites designated at Smite, Evesham and Throckmorton. Other counties do not supply them as much as we do."

All members of the planning board agreed the matter should be passed on to the resources committee to see if funding could be allocated.