AMBULANCE bosses are planning on selling a Hereford base station now troublesome travellers have been moved from the site.

Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust is hoping to put the Grafton ambulance station on the market, after troubles at the site were put to an end.

The group, who had set up home on the neighbouring Romany Close travellers site, had plagued staff at the station for two years, but were moved on when Herefordshire Council turned to the courts for help.

The council has now cleaned up the site, which was littered with 200 gas bottles, six abandoned cars, five caravans, knee-deep piles of dirty washing and nappies, and tons of scrap metal.

All 18 washing facilities were also vandalised, and the total clean-up cost was around £10,000.

The ambulance trust has been trying to sell the site for the past two years, but on at least two occasions the sale fell through as a result of the disruptive nature of the travellers.

Steve McGuinness, director of operations, said the move was a relief.

"Soon after our last meeting the council moved the people from the site, and this was down to sustained media pressure," he said.

"This is a welcome move for staff in Hereford, who have endured significant disruption to operations by those people who were illegally living on the site.

"The Trust can now move forward with the objective of placing the site on the market and providing a new facility for staff at Hereford.

"We are now hopeful we can move forward in a positive way to bring about the changes to enhance and improve the facilities for ambulance staff within the city."