Photos taken today (August 1) show the rubbish left behind by Travellers after they moved on from charity-run sports pitches in south Bristol.
The illegal encampment may have only started last Thursday, but in the four days it was there the occupants have created a mess of the Imperial Sports Ground pitches at the corner of Sturminster Road and West Town Lane in Stockwood.
Garden and domestic waste sit in piles in a ditch at the rear of the site while a whole range of rubbish lies across the pitches; from shoes to empty drink cans.
There is also rubbish in the hedges and bushes and evidence of a bonfire in one corner. Meanwhile, a padlock to the gate of the disused changing room has been broken and a dugout damaged. The grass turf in many areas has also been upturned by vehicle movements.
Imperial Sports Ground told BristolWorld today that the group moved after Avon and Somerset Police issued a notice for them to leave. The charity had also issued its own notice for the caravans to leave.
A spokesperson for the charity added: “We are now well under way in getting the site cleared as soon as possible.” At the site this morning, litter picker Raymond Inman described the mess as ‘horrible’.
Here are 10 pictures of the rubbish left behind on the land:
1. Tyre marks
With the rain coming down since the arrival of the Travellers, large parts of the grass have been turned over by vehicle movements
2. Shoes to cans
A whole range of rubbish has been left across the pitches including this footwear and drink can
3. Litter in hedges
It appears alot of the rubbish has been thrown into the hedges and bushes which surround the field
4. Bonfire
As well as rubbish on the site, there is evidence of bonfires lit on the grass surface