A GROUP of travellers have been evicted from a Bolton site after the counciL successfully applied for a court order to remove them.

The 40-strong group had been given until 11am to leave the site near St Mark's Street and Sidney Street.

They have been camped on car parks in the area for the last two months.

The council was granted permission to evict the travellers at Bolton Magistrates Court on Monday.

Local businesses said travellers had lived on a series of car parks in the surrounding area since Christmas. They have now called for action to prevent them from returning.

Bill Proudman, a director at Northern Realisations, which is based at Albion Mill in St Mark's Street, said that more height barriers to stop people getting onto the car parks should now be installed.

He claims that customers have been verbally abused and rubbish has been strewn across the streets.

"I have never seen anything like this," said Mr Proudman. "There have been about 100 caravans and they have completely taken over the whole area.

"Why does the council let it get like this? Something should now be done to stop it happening again. Barriers would prevent the council from having to go to court and then face a huge clean-up bill."

Gary Jarvis, branch manager at Johnson's Paints in St Mark's Street, added: "They have been using our car park and we could not get our vans out or deliveries in.

"Rubbish is also beginning to build up. They have been shifting around the whole area going from car park to car park."