COUNCIL workers have been staging a clean-up operation after a large group of travellers who had evaded a police blockade to set up camp right in the heart of Ilkley, departed suddenly.

The 20-vehicle strong group stayed for just 48 hours but they sparked outrage among residents and left a trail of rubbish and debris.

They had moved on to East Holmes Field, by the River Wharfe, last Wednesday. The location is a prime, Council-owned site, opposite the Swimming Pool and Lido and popular with both local dog-walkers and visitors.

Bradford's Environment chief and Ilkley parish and district Councillor Anne Hawkesworth feared the new arrivals' presence could sabotage both this week's Britain in Bloom judging and next month's Summer Festival.

But to everyone's surprise the last travellers rolled out of town on Friday afternoon - leaving behind two caravans, a large pile of building rubble and a burnt-out car.

Rumours of 'trouble' at the field, including cars being spun to deliberately damage the ground and one vehicle being set alight, started to circulate almost immediately after the travellers arrived.

Sergeant Esther Hobbs of Ilkley Police said: "Initially on Thurs-day there was a report of ducks having stones thrown at them by the river.

"Officers attended but were unable to find any injured ducks. When they went back to the police car they found two slashed tyres.

"There were no witnesses so there are no lines of inquiry on that. There was nothing to link the incident with the travellers.

"Later that evening, when the travellers were packing up to leave, a couple of vehicles were left at the scene and another one set on fire.

"It was investigated but we couldn't find any identification on the vehicle which was burnt. It could be that they have damaged their own property, which in law isn't an offence.

"It would appear that the travellers have come to Ilkley for as long as they wanted and, for whatever reason, they've moved on."

Shocked dog walkers and tourists were left tip-toeing through the debris left after the travellers' departure as Bradford Council workmen, tractors and lorries began the clean-up operation.

One female resident, who did not want to be named, said: "I had to run the gauntlet when I was walking my dog and they were goading me and shouting all sorts of abuse.

"Thank goodness they've gone!"

A Council workman said: "Keighley where they were before was much worse, this is nothing. There we found dead cats, ducks and 20 bags full of chicken carcasses.

"They also left a caravan full of human excrement. Luckily, they've bagged that up here."

A bemused group of Bolivian students from the University of Leeds, who were holding a barbecue on the river bank, watched with disbelief as a digger scraped up the eight tonnes or so of rubble dumped at the water's edge.

The Council had, in fact, been preparing to send a barrister to court on Monday to seek an order which would allow police to force the travellers from the land.

Councillor Hawkesworth said they were pushing the process faster than normal because of the 'extreme' effect the travellers' presence could have on tourism.

She said: "We put the case that Ilkley, as a honey pot tourist area, cannot afford the financial or environmental impact of having travellers on such a high profile site.

"But now they have all gone, anyway, and it was great to see them go, I was absolutely thrilled and pleased to hear that.

"I had regular contact with officers at the site throughout the two days, because I was very concerned about it.

"Everyone's a little baffled as to why they left so quickly, I think it may have been because they were assisted by the police and officers.

"I think they were not made to feel welcome. Once they left the officers then stopped them getting back into Bradford - let's just say a route was devised for them.

"I don't know how much rubbish was left or environmental damage caused but these were not the regular visitors who we have had staying down by the riverside, near the lay-by, over the years.

"These were a completely different group, and I'm glad to say they were escorted out of Ilkley."

The travellers told the Gazette last week that they were 'doing no harm' and couldn't understand why people wouldn't leave them alone.

There are two 'permanent' official sites for travellers in the district, one at Esholt and one at Mary Street, in Bradford.

But there is nowhere for 'itinerants' to use as they travel through.

Bradford Council's head of service in Environmental Protection, John Major, said: "The two sites offer 47 places for caravans.

"They are heavily used and are often full with long-term residents.

"Travellers are not usually interested in taking up a place, anyway. However, not many local authorities offer the amount of places that we do."