Travellers have been camping on a car-park used by rail commuters.

The group of five caravans, plus a tent and a number of wagons, arrived at Steeton station car park, off Station Road, Steeton, on Friday.

The families have taken up an area which could take about 20 cars.

The car park is owned by Northern Rail and an official from the company spoke to the group yesterday.

A company spokesman said: “We are aware that they are there and have spoken to them. We are now looking at our options.”

Bradford Councillor Andrew Mallinson (Con, Craven), who lives in Steeton, said the law needed tightening so local authorities could take quicker procedures to make travellers move on.

“I think some of the travelling community are their own worst enemy,” he said.

“People would be able to accept them and be more tolerant if they showed more respect for the places they stop and tidy up after themselves.

“There seem to be elements in their community which don’t have respect for others.”

Taking action was costly whether legally or simply to make vulnerable areas more secure by building fences or putting other obstacles on the site.

But it was difficult to make car parks more secure because they needed to have access to the general public, he added.

Steeton with Eastburn Parish Councillor Sue Thompson said she believed it was important to act with sensitivity rather than going straight in with legal action.

Travelling families have been setting up camp at a number of locations in the Bradford area over the last ten days.

Bradford Council evicted travellers from Thompson Lane, Baildon, where they left human waste at nearby Glenaire Primary School.

They also spent a brief time at Redbeck playing fields in Shipley.