The last of an unauthorised Traveller encampment moved on from Wheatsheaf Common on Tuesday leaving behind them a clean-up operation and a series of questions.

Some 30 caravans and associated vehicles, the figure put forward by Woking Borough Council, occupied the site on Wednesday of last week (30 July).

Travellers were ordered to leave by Monday at 11am, although a number overstayed the order.

Residents’ concerns gathered round two main issues: How did the Travellers establish the unauthorised encampment in the face of an evident police presence? And who was responsible for, and the cost of, cleaning up the mess, including the removal of human faeces scattered within the wooded areas?

In a statement to the News & Mail, Surrey Police said: “Police were made aware of an unauthorised encampment on Wheatsheaf Common at around 2.30pm on Wednesday, 30 July, following a report of criminal damage committed to gain access to the land.

“When officers arrived, they put temporary measures in place to block the entrance to the site to carry out an initial assessment.

“However, when additional caravans arrived this caused a significant obstruction, and a temporary road closure was put in place to try and ease congestion.

“Officers reviewed the powers available to them to manage unauthorised encampments under Sections 60, 61, and 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which are reliant on meeting certain criteria with regards to damage, disruption, or distress.

“It was judged that the encampment did not meet this threshold, which meant that officers did not have the powers to direct the encampment to vacate the site at that time.”

The News & Mail understands that the clean-up costs of the Wheatsheaf recreation ground are included within the council’s contract with maintenance company Krinkels – it is effectively treated as fly-tipping – but the adjacent woodlands are owned by and are the responsibility of the Horsell Common Preservation Society.

In this instance, however, Krinkels were also requested to clean up the woodland.

Cllr Ellen Nicholson, portfolio holder for environment, waste and leisure, has written to the Police and Crime Commissioner for her view on police officers enforcing the Public Order Act 1986, particularly in relation to human excrement on the Wheatsheaf site.

However, as the Wheatsheaf vehicles slowly dispersed another unauthorised encampment developed on Monday at the West Byfleet Recreation Ground.

Woking council has again begun the process to move them off the site, a procedure becoming familiar after other unauthorised encampments at Waterer’s Park, on the edge of Knaphill, this year.