A HUGE youth football tournament for hundreds of children will go ahead this weekend after the town council dealt swiftly with a traveller encampment.

Last year, a group of travellers set up at Highworth Rec, leading to several days of problems across the town with reports of violence, criminal damage and defecation. 

This week, the public space once again found itself home to a group of travellers, with similar issues starting to surface - including criminal damage to the field's fencing, excrement around the site, and abusive behaviour towards locals. 

This prompted a statement from Highworth Town Juniors Football Club, which suffered thousands of pounds worth of damage during last year's incident, criticising the borough council for its inaction on Tuesday.

But after the caravans were moved off the public space later that evening, the club released a new statement on Wednesday which praised the local authorities' speedy efforts.

It said: "Everyone at Highworth Town Juniors would like to thank Highworth Town Council for their swift work and actions that resulted in a group of travellers that were on our site being moved on late last night.

"Once the clean up is complete we now look forward to seeing our teams participate in the senior sections' junior football tournament this weekend."

A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said in response: “We’re happy that this incident has been dealt with so quickly.

“We’d like to thank Wiltshire Police and Highworth Town Council for their work and co-operation over the past 48 hours.

“Our Streetsmart team will now be working with partners to make sure the site is cleaned up and we will look at how we can help improve security at the site in the future.”

A metal barrier was installed on part of the green's boundary after last year's problems.

This was supposed to prevent future unwanted encampments turning up on the Lower Recreation Ground, but it proved to be ineffective as wooden fencing links around the sturdy structure were broken instead so that the caravans could access the site.

By Wednesday afternoon, the Highworth Rec was once again clean and safe for the public to use.

A Highworth Town Council spokesman said: "The Recreation Ground has now been assessed and cleared, please feel free to visit and enjoy."

A group of travellers was reportedly sighted in Marlborough shortly after the exodus from Highworth.