A GROUP of travellers who set up camp in Thetford almost two months ago have moved on.

A GROUP of travellers who set up camp in Thetford almost two months ago have moved on.

A handful of caravans, two horse boxes and associated paraphernalia, including a number of white goods, arrived on Barnham Cross Common in March.

Since then, a number of people living in the town said they felt too afraid and intimidated to use the common. Now, after a court order was obtained by Breckland District Council, which manages the land, the travellers have left the site.

Speaking to the Thetford and Brandon Times last week however, one traveller, who did not want to be named, said, although they were planning to leave on the bank holiday weekend, he did not believe they had done anything wrong.

“We just do our own thing and have our own culture and people don't understand that so how are they going to understand us?” he said.

“We don't want to upset anybody but they're judging us before they've met us. I think people should open their eyes and think about things a bit more.”

He went on to say he had gained access to the common with a key which he said Thetford Town Council had given him about 15 years ago to graze horses.

Clerk to the town council, Ed Chambers, however, said: “It's a surprise if that had happened and I've got no record of him being a grazer in 1995, but if he, or other councillors, wanted to correct me that would be fine.”

Last week, Breckland District Council, which manages the land on behalf of the town council, was granted an order permitting officials to move the travellers on.

The man said he did not know where the group, which is made up of 11 adults and three children, would move to but in previous years had settled in various places around Thetford, Attleborough and other places in Norfolk. He added he the group had removed all of their rubbish, although some had been left behind which he believed was there before he arrived.

A Breckland Council spokesman said they would be working with the travellers to make sure they did not move from one location to another “sensitive location.”

He added: “There is a small amount of rubbish that has been left by the travellers. We intend to have this removed by the end of the week. This cost of this service is covered within the waste and recycling contract for Breckland.”