Now they are being urged to use the powers more regularly across West Yorkshire in a bid to sped up the removal of illegal camps.

As reported in the YEP on Monday, around 20 caravans were set up last Thursday on the play area off Whitwood Common Lane.

Residents feared it could take weeks to evict the travellers.
A spokeswoman for Wakefield Council said: "The travellers arrived on Thursday and there was a joint visit by the police and local authority.

"We worked alongside West Yorkshire Police who used their powers under the powers under The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act to evict this illegal camp."

The powers are rarely used. The only other alternative is for councils to apply to the courts to evict the camps, a lengthy and costly process.

Council chiefs in Leeds are calling on West Yorkshire Police to use their powers more frequently.

Section 61 states police have power to remove trespassers if reasonable steps are taken by the occupier to ask them to leave, if there is damage to the land or to property, or if there is threatening behaviour.

In July, Leeds council took 30 legal actions to remove travellers from its land. In the 12 months to the end of March this year it spent £200,000 tackling unauthorised sites on council land. The year before the council spent £1m. Council chiefs warn this year the cost of dealing with illegal sites looks set to top £1m.

Coun Les Carter said: "We can't just go on there with a bulldozer and push them off. The council is legally bound go through a lengthy process which first involves sending in liaison officers to assess the medical and welfare needs of the travellers."

Officers must also find deeds to prove they own the land before
putting together evidence to be heard in court. The council then has to return to the site and serve a period of notice.

Coun Carter said: "It is easy to understand public frustration at the apparent slowness. But at the moment we are heavily constrained.

"The only way this situation is going to be properly brought under control is through legislation to make it a criminal offence for groups to be able to just park up where they like.

"People need to write to their MPs to get the changes in parliament." In one recent case, legal action was taken to move a group from land next to Middleton Park Avenue, Middleton, only for the group to cross the road to occupy a junior team's football pitch.

The local authority had to start legal proceedings all over again. "It makes a whole mockery of the situation. I feel sorry for the people who are affected and understand their frustration."

He said travellers knew how to work the system but the council vowed to pursue illegal camps.

Meanwhile, legal notices are expected to served on travellers who have returned with around 40 caravans to land off Church Lane, Hunslet, just six weeks after being moved from the same spot. The council has one official traveller site at Cottingley Springs.

But Helen Jones, director of Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange, blamed the local authority for failed to provide enough permanent pitches for families. She said: "I completely dispute tax payers money being spent on police having to resolve a problem caused by the council.

"If my home is burgled I want to see the police tackling that rather than harassing people who are in effect homeless.

"The council has known for 15 years now that another 50 extra pitches are needed."