Travellers have parked caravans at a pitch used by a Weymouth rugby club.

Around ten caravans appeared at Weymouth & Portland RFC's lower pitch in Monmouth Avenue yesterday evening and the club said negotiations are currently underway with the group and authorities.

Dorset Council, which owns the land, said the travellers should be leaving the pitch "shortly."

Police say officers ordered the group to leave the site this morning.

A Dorset Council spokesman said: “The Rugby Club is on Dorset Council land. Dorset Police has used its powers to serve eviction papers and the travellers should be leaving the rugby pitch shortly.

“The travellers may choose to use the traveller transit site near Piddlehinton or to leave Dorset.”

The council confirmed that there is currently space available at the Piddlehinton transit site.

A Dorset Police spokesman said: "Dorset Police received reports from around 5.30pm on Tuesday July 7 in relation to a group of travellers at the Weymouth & Portland Rugby Football Club on Monmouth Avenue.

"At around 11am on Wednesday July 8 officers gave the group a direction under section 62 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act to vacate the site."

It comes after a group of travellers that stayed overnight at the Great Field in Poundbury left the site on Tuesday evening, after being ordered to leave by the Duchy of Cornwall, which owns that piece of land.

Dorset Police said they are unable to confirm if it is the same group of travellers, as the information "is not clear" on their logs. 

PLEASE NOTE: Comments have been opened on this story but any reference to gypsies or any racially offensive term will cause them to be closed and you may find your account suspended.

Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are legally recognised as ethnic groups, and protected by the Race Relations Act.

Please keep your comments to this particular incident and do not generalise. Thanks for your co-operation.