A MAMMOTH clean-up operation has been undertaken at a Ramsbottom super-market after travellers set up camp on the site.

Bosses at the Co-op in King Street were forced to launch a massive clean-up on the site after travellers left rubbish strewn all over the car park.

Staff from the company went into action and cleared debris from the car park within 48 hours of the travellers leaving the site earlier this week.

The group of travellers, who brought around six caravans complete with swings for the children, appeared at the site last week.

The group left, rubbish bags, road surgacing, soil, tree branches, broken glass, rotting food and soiled clothing, as well as other debris, on the site to the dismay of local people.

One Ramsbottom resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "It was very intimidating and we didn't know what to do about it. I hope the store can take action to make sure they don't return."

A spokesman for Co-op said: "As soon as the travellers left at 7am on Tuesday morning and we became aware of this mess we went into action to clear it up as quickly as possible by using internal staff.

"The rubbish was cleared away as a matter of priority and now the car park is back to normal.

"We had already started to discuss what action we were going to take and put those wheels in motion."

Company bosses today vowed to do what they could to prevent travellers returning to the site.

The spokesman added: "We have got procedures in place so if this does happen again we can react as quickly as we can.

"We are also looking at putting some prevention methods in place so this can't happen again."