LEGAL action is being pursued to evict a group of travellers from a Netherton beauty spot.

Caravans arrived on the Bumble Hole Nature Reserve on Tuesday afternoon (September 29).

It was initially thought that the travellers had broken locks to gain access to the site, off St George's Road, but residents have since told police it had been "insecure for some time".

Councillor Elaine Taylor, who represents Netherton and lives near the nature reserve, confirmed: "They didn't break any locks; so sadly, the council was lax in some ways when it came to making sure the locks were on the barriers.

"Now we have the problem of moving them on."

Dudley South MP Mike Wood also expressed concern, adding: "The Bumble Hole is a beautiful nature reserve and one that is frequently used by many of my constituents.

"This area is for their enjoyment and not for travellers to just pitch up and park when they feel like it."

He continued: "As in Kingswinford earlier this month, I expect the police and local authority to use powers already available to them to force the travellers off this natural beauty spot.

"The court process the police ever increasingly rely on the council to pursue is costly and time consuming and ultimately unnecessary if they use powers already available."

However Councillor Gaye Partridge, cabinet member for housing, said efforts to persuade the travellers to leave the site had failed so the council was today (Thursday) applying for a court order to move them on.

She added: "We expect this to be granted by the middle of next week.

"Once the order is given then we will move the travellers from the site.”