A group of travellers have set up camp in the car park of a leisure centre in Southend.

Approximately five caravans arrived in the coach park of the Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre in Garon Park, off Eastern Avenue in Southend without permission.

They are believed to have been there since Saturday, just days after travellers set up at Festival Leisure in Basildon.

Southend Council, which operates the leisure centre in conjunction with Fusion Lifestyle, has already sought the relevant paperwork to instruct the group to move on.

A council spokesman said: “We are aware of travellers in the Garon Park car park who are occupying our land without authorisation.

“They were served with a notice to leave the land on Monday which requires they vacate our land.

“If they fail to do so, legal action will be commenced and a possession order will be served.”

The group is believed to have gained access via the overflow car park of Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre.

A gate from the car park into the sports ground, which is usually locked, was seen open.

One resident, who asked not to be named, has expressed concern about the occupation.

He said: “I had just dropped my wife off at the leisure centre yesterday morning and noticed they were there in the coach car park.

“There was about four or five different caravans and a brand new Land Rover with Irish plates.

“We saw children running round in the car park which isn’t exactly safe because there are cars driving through there all the time.

“I don’t know what they here are for because normally they arrive in time for some kind of event but I don’t think there’s anything on this weekend.

“This isn’t the first time they’ve been there. It seems to be a regular thing. I remember the last time they were here I think they actually used the facilities at the centre to wash. But we haven’t seen anyone in there this time.”

This site has often been targeted by travellers looking to set up camp.

A group pitched up on the same land in March last year and May the year before that.

Travellers also set up camp in Garon Park just days before the Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in June 2014, before moving off just in time for the event.

The field, next to Garon Park, is used by a number of sports teams, including Trinity FC, and is popular with dog walkers.