A travellers community have been removed from public land by police.

Waltham Abbey council served the eviction notice and attended as police escorted the travellers off a site at Town Mead leisure park, in Waltham Abbey, at 5.30 pm on Wednesday.

Witnesses say that riot vans were used to forcibly evict the community, which numbered 20 caravans housing at least 40 people.

The travellers, believed to be of Romany heritage, had been at the site off Brooker Road since September 9.

They were last seen heading south on Sewardstone Road and passing another new traveller site just a mile down the road.

A mud blockade has been installed at the leisure park to prevent the travellers returning and there is damage to the railings.

Phil Trew, 54, of Sewardstone Street, said Waltham Abbey town council took too long to act.

"This isn’t a travellers park this is a public park. The council took over a week to do anything about it, which isn't good enough.

"Travellers themselves aren’t bad people, they kept to themselves, but they were an eyesore. I’m happy to see them gone."

Matt Nadal, from Nazeing, said: "I used to love walking my dogs here but the travellers came and took up so much space."

"I’m glad we have the space back now the kids can play footbal again."

An Essex police spokesman said: "Officers were made aware of a civil trespass on to the Town Mead site in Brooker Road."

"We were supporting the town council gathering evidence to enable them to apply to the court for a possession order."

"Whilst this process took place a review of the site was undertaken by staff from the Essex Police traveller liaison and enforcement unit and a decision was made to issue the residents of the site with notices to leave by midday on Wednesday September 17."

"Officers attended with adequate resources to oversee the departure of the travellers and no public order offences were committed."

Waltham Abbey town council have refused to comment.