A GROUP of travellers which pitched up on a leisure centre car park have now left, just in time for a mobile Covid testing unit to arrive on site.

The group of caravans arrived at Rayleigh Leisure Centre on Thursday, with several caravans seen in the car park.

The leisure centre car park, on Priory Chase, has frequently been used by travellers for illegal encampments, including back in October and June last year.

There were fears the travellers’ arrival would halt Covid tests going ahead at the centre, with a mobile testing centre set to arrive on Monday.

But Rochford District Council served a notice on the travellers on Friday, and they left on Sunday afternoon before the Monday deadline of the notice.

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Mark Francois, Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford, has called for a change in the law to make it easier for authorities to move them on.

He said the UK Government should adopt the “Irish Option” which would see deliberate trespass become a criminal offence, rather than a civil one, meaning those who break the rules would faces tougher penalties.

Mr Francois said: “Time and again, we go through this ridiculous cat and mouse game, to evict travellers from land they are illegally occupying.

“However, the process can be time consuming, as well as costing local council tax payers’ money, because trespass remains a civil offence in law.

“After years of enduring this nonsense, about which I have had endless complaints from my constituents, that is why I and other Conservative MPs have been lobbying the Government for several years to introduce the so called ‘Irish Option’.

“I and many of my Parliamentary colleagues believe that if we were to adopt the Irish system, this would act as a deterrent and lead to far fewer illegal incursions, if those who do so risk having their vehicles impounded as a result.”

Mr Francois said he would continue to lobby his colleagues in Government to bring forward new legislation to stop illegal traveller encampments.