LEGAL action is set to be taken to remove a group of travellers who have set up camp at Nell's Point on Barry Island.

The Vale of Glamorgan council gave the travellers - who took up an unauthorised occupancy of the Nell's Point car park on Friday, October 9 - a deadline of 10am Tuesday (October 13) morning to leave of their own volition.

With this deadline passed, the council will now be taking legal action, seeking a prompt resolution to the occupancy which has left the busy Island car park blocked off from visitors.

A Vale council spokesman said that they intend to ask the court to waive the usual two day notice period for a hearing so that the situation can be resolved as quickly as possible.

"While arrangements to move the travellers on are being made, the Council has provided the group with access to running water, toilet facilities, and bins to dispose of their waste," he said.

"No complaints have been received by either the Vale of Glamorgan Council or South Wales Police about the travellers’ conduct. However, it remains the Council’s view that this is an unauthorised encampment that is causing disruption to the local community and one that is in no way appropriate."

Local politicians have called for a quick resolution to the issue, with MP Alun Cairns saying the Vale council must learn lessons from the recent similar situation in Dinas Powys.

Mr Cairns said: “The local authority must learn from the previous debacle at Dinas Powys and take the strongest possible action immediately to evict the travellers. Nell’s Point is such an iconic site, and I am concerned that sites across the Vale could now be seen as a soft touch for those seeking to trespass.

“I want this sorted, the local council must act decisively and swiftly to deliver a positive outcome for those residing and trying to earn a living on the Island.”

Plaid Cymru Councillor Nic Hodges, who represents Barry Island said he was dismayed to see the encampment and added concerns that the closure of the car park will affect Island trade. He said that he witnessed many motorists being turned away from the car park on Friday - the first day of the travellers' occupancy.

“We have impressed on the Vale Council that everything possible must be done to remove the trespassers as quickly as possible," he said.

"The law does seem to favour trespassers at the expense of local residents. Plaid fully understands that people are upset and annoyed at the situation."

An Island trader, who did not wish to be named, said that the lack of parking at Nell's Point is affecting business and that he hoped the situation could be resolved as quickly as possible.