THE district council is preparing a legal process after a number of caravans appeared and parked in Aireville Park, Skipton, overnight on Monday/Tuesday morning.

A dog walker said he saw the vans, believed to be travellers, at around 5am today. The walker counted around 20 caravans which can be seen clearly from the entrance to the park off Harwood Road and Gargrave Road.

The walker said he had walked his dog in the park at 7.30pm on Monday and the caravans were not there then. He added that there was already quite a bit of rubbish and human excrement in the middle of the park.

“I reported this same incident about five years ago. The council subsequently installed rising bollards at the canal and swimming pool entrance however none at the Gargrave Road gate which is where they have presumably broken the padlock and chain to gain access. It took about a week last time for them to be moved on. I certainly won’t be walking the dog in the park as it’s a health hazard,” he said.

A spokesman for Craven District Council said: “We are aware of an unauthorised encampment at Aireville Park, in Skipton. There is a legal process to follow and we are making arrangements to visit the encampment.”