Residents who awoke to an unauthorised traveller encampment outside their homes said they felt forced to “ignore” the site because they “didn’t want trouble” – despite it getting “really tense”.

Last week, 59-year-old Gary North and his children awoke to find a traveller encampment just metres away from his home in Brooklyn Flats, just off Balme Road in Cleckheaton.

He said he had come down to make some food when he noticed “big caravans” parked on the playing fields outside his gate.

Mr North said: “They said they were allowed to be there by the council, but no one really knew if they had permission.”

The grounds were cleared on Sunday (July 19), Mr North said

placeholder image — The grounds were cleared on Sunday (July 19), Mr North said

According to Mr North, the encampment was not received, with vitriol being “thrown” at it by other neighbours.

He said said: “Some of the residents were alright, but one of the neighbours started yelling stuff at them, and then it got really tense. It didn’t help.”

According to the council, any “Gypsy and traveller sites” are posted on their website once the process of trying to clear any sites has begun.

Mr North said: “We don’t want trouble. My son is autistic, and it affects him, and my daughter has anxiety, so she was also affected by it. By Sunday (July 19), the police came down, and by about tea-time they had left”.

West Yorkshire Police were contacted for a comment.

A spokesperson for Kirklees council said: “The council was made aware of an encampment in Cleckheaton and was preparing to take the necessary legal steps. However, on this occasion the travellers left the site before we needed to take any action.

“The council follows a 5-stage process whenever a site appears on our land: Notification of encampment and land ownership checks, welfare assessment and site visit, legal process, enforcement and clean up.”

Mr North said that the easiest way to “deal” with the encampment was to let them “pack up and move on.”