By LIAM MURPHY

TRAVELLERS camped next to playing fields close to an outbreak of foot and mouth are being allowed to stay put amid fears that they could spread the disease if they move on.

The group of travellers and their pet dogs moved their 12 caravans on to land next to the pavilion at Pleasington playing fields last Tuesday -- an area well within the 16km infected area order imposed around the Withnell farm at the centre of the local outbreak.

The travellers -- who could move on voluntarily -- said they had come from Witton Park but the fields are used by local football teams, including those from Blackburn Saturday and Sunday leagues and the caravans caused parking problems last weekend.

A spokesman forBlackburn with Darwen Council said normally the travellers would have been moved on but said guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) officials advises them not to move the travellers on until the outbreak of the infectious disease has been contained.

The infected area zone around Ollerton Farm in Withnell imposes greater restrictions in a bid to prevent the foot and mouth spreading further.

Parts of Witton Country Park which borders farms were closed off after the outbreak and many footpaths remain closed to the public with a maximum £5,000 fine for those who ignore the order.

There have also been warnings that dogs allowed off their leads could spread the disease and could be impounded.

Today a local councillor said he was concerned about where the travellers had come from. He said he would be contacting MAFF amid concern that they could, potentially, have brought the disease into the area if they had passed through infected land. Coun John Williams who represents Livesey and Pleasington ward said he would be in touch with the agriculture ministry to find out if they could shed any light on the travellers' movements before they arrived in Blackburn.

Alan Greenwood, secretary of the Accrington and District Junior Football league, said parking had been "a problem" last week and he expected the difficulties to continue if the travellers remained. He said there was also concern about whether the football pitches would be damaged by those camping near them.

Mr Greenwood added: "We understand there is a difficulty with moving them on because of the foot and mouth disease."

One of the travellers, who asked not to be named, said they had been there a week. She said the group had originally stopped at Witton Park but had moved last Friday.

She said: "I don't know how long we'll be here for, we'll have to wait and see." She said each caravan had a "large family" travelling in it.

She added: "The police have been here a few times but they haven't asked us to move on." Apart from a few dogs wandering unleashed around their mobile homes the travellers did not appear to have any animals with them, and used caravans pulled by cars and vans.

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "The police have been up there on numerous occasions and despite this advice from MAFF we still have a certain amount of discretion to ensure they are not impeding ordinary rights of way and the sports areas."

He added: "We just have to hope people will exercise some co-operation. We want to ensure the travellers don't impede any public rights of way or use of the football pitches."

A spokesman for Blackburn police confirmed they had visited the site on a number of occasions since the travellers arrived.

A spokesman for MAFF confirmed their advice "would be to not encourage them to move on at this time as this could become a problem in spreading the disease elsewhere".