Herne Bay's Memorial Park was left covered in a sea of rubbish after travellers upped sticks and moved to another part of the town.

Piles of waste littered the grass as caravans and trailers left the park at about 9.30pm last night and set up camp in Hampton.

Among the trash - which was being swarmed on by seagulls - was even the court summons issued to the travellers yesterday by Canterbury City Council.

It ordered them to appear at Margate Magistrates' Court at midday today if they failed to move on.

They complied with the order last night, but have now parked up on land in Swalecliffe Avenue, Hampton, near the play park and table tennis club.

Council spokesman Rob Davies said: "We are aware a group of travellers has moved from the Memorial Park in Herne Bay to an area of land in Hampton overnight.

"Our enforcement officers are on the scene. We will work as quickly as the law allows to remove them."

The travellers initially arrived at the Neptune car park on Monday before moving to the Memorial Park.

When asked by enforcement officers yesterday the reason for their visit, the travellers said they were on holiday.

One is said to be seven months' pregnant.