Harrogate Borough Council looks set to begin legal moves to evict Travellers on the Stray tomorrow.
Six caravans and several cars arrived on the Oatlands section of the Stray yesterday.
Three days earlier Travellers also parked on the old rugby field at Knaresborough.
The council, which is the legal protector of the Stray, has not replied to the Stray Ferret’s request for information about what action it is taking.
But Judy d’Arcy Thompson, chair of the Stray Defence Association, said the council had informed her that is is “aware and prepared to serve papers on Monday if required with a court hearing already scheduled for Thursday. Unfortunately due to the legal process, this is the fastest we can progress the situation.”
It is thought the Travellers are on their way to Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria, which begins on Thursday.
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Ms d’Arcy Thompson said the council had informed her that its street cleaning team was “prepared to check the area and clear any waste left behind”.
She added the council appeared to be doing everything it could to resolve the situation, adding:
“With experience of similar events in the past we appreciate the complexity of the legal process.
“We naturally hope that they respect our Stray and that the minimum of mess and damage is left behind when they depart.”
The Stray Defence Association was founded in 1933 to safeguard the Stray against building and encroachment.
