A GROUP of travellers camped on land off Wellington Road near Bury town centre are expected to move around lunchtime today, July 14.

The council received permission to intervene when Bury magistrates granted a removal order yesterday. The travellers made no appeal against it.

But it is hoped that they will move through negotiation rather than by force. And to this end council representatives were at the site yesterday attempting to arrange their smooth exit.

About a month ago a group of travellers were moved from the same site. They relocated to Bolton but have returned in greater numbers despite the area being cleaned up and re-secured. Lorraine Chamberlin, Bury's principal environmental health officer, said: "We are hoping for an amicable outcome. If they don't move we will have to tow them off but we are hoping it won't come to that.

"The land is owned by the education department and a number of schools use it. I hope the travellers will be gone of their own accord before we get there today. We are just doing our job and going through the legal process of removing them from land where they are not entitled to be."

The travellers have been placing carpets on display for sale.

Permission to move the group was granted under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

The council's traveller education co-ordinator visited the site this week and a liaison officer for travellers issued them with a direction order, asking them to move from the site near Bury Athletic Club. A court summons was issued later.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.