Group of Travellers reported on Sunnyside Park, Bolton

The group appears to have been based on Sunnyside Park, off Chelsea Street in Great Lever since around last Wednesday, August 19.

People living in the area say they have become concerned about how the Travellers appear to have entered illegally and about the length of time they have been there.

A resident said: “I think they arrived possibly Wednesday last week, I’ve tried to get hold of the council and the police but I’ve not had any response.”

She added: “They’ve literally trashed the place, they’ve left rubbish around the place, they’ve been litter.

A group of caravans and cars have been seen (Image: Public)

“If it was Moss Bank Park or Leverhulme Park they’d have acted about it a bit quicker than this!”

Images from the scene show a cluster of caravans and cars parked on the green space area on Sunnyside Park.

Sunnyside Park is a popular green space for families with young children and has recently been at the centre of plans for a new “community shop”.

This came after plans were approved back in April this year to turn the abandoned Sunnyside Community Centre into a new shop and café.

Earlier in August, Bolton Council announced that the community shop would be opening with the support of the authority itself and of bakery chain Warburton’s in September.

The shop will aim to offer vegetables and bread for only 20p and will also be the site of a new community café.

But the presence of the Traveller group over the last few days has alarmed residents about the safety of their children on the park.

Cllr Mohammed Ayub, of Great Lever, said: “Obviously we’ll go through the correct legal process to deal with this.

“I think it’s a shame these people have chosen this site where we are developing the Sunnyside Community Shop.

“We’ve working together very closely to open the shop on September 16 so we need to make sure the site is cleaned out.”

Bolton Council have said that they are aware about the Traveller group on Sunnyside Park and are taking the appropriate legal steps to move them on.

A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the situation and will be going through the appropriate legal process.”