A massive mess has been left behind by travellers on the recreation ground at Wootton Bassett Road. 

Black bags full of rubbish, a chicken hut and more rubbish including a half-eaten KFC was left as they finally moved on.

Swindon Borough Council said that the group had told officers they would leave by the weekend, but they only left today, four days after originally planned. 

A trespass order was then issued on Tuesday and travellers were told to leave by 6pm today.

A spokesman for the council said: "We can confirm that the site has been vacated, though we are disappointed to see that it has been left in a poor condition.

"This has been designated a ‘priority clear up’, which will begin as soon as possible.”

While the travellers were at the site councillor for the ward, Bob Wright, said residents had been let down. 

He said: "Residents are frustrated, and so am I, that there wasn’t a more immediate action in spite of Covid to identify a site they can go to and assist them to move there.

“Residents have been let down as we didn’t make a move to move them along as promised last weekend.

"They’ve cut down trees to use and defecated and put toiletries into the forest, which means wildlife could be affected and people couldn’t go into that area until it’s cleaned up.

“Six more vans arrived so it’s expanded now and I’ve passed on to the council that the dogs were terrorising passers-by.

“Whichever way you look at it, the controls that are in place for everyone else doesn’t seem to apply to this group.”