Legal proceedings have begun to remove travellers who have set up camp on a community football pitch.

About 20 caravans set up camp on Gaisby Stray in Bolton Woods after police moved them on from another pitch at Bierley, Bradford.

Councillor Tony Miller (Bolton Woods, Labour) said his phone had been red-hot' with calls from worried people wanting to see ground freed in time for local league matches at the weekend.

He said: "We had this problem a few years ago. When they moved off they left the council with about £9,000 of clearing up to do and it was months before any games could be played on it.

"They had churned it up and burned away at it with fires as well as damaging changing rooms. We don't want it happening again."

Jim Aveyard, Bradford Council's environmental health manager, said the Gypsy Liaison Section was aware of the camp and had started legal proceedings to regain possession of the land. And Inspector Owen West, of Shipley police, said officers were also aware and were waiting to hear from the Council before taking any action.

He added: "We have been to see them but there are protocols the Council has to go through to get them off first. After that, if the Council feels it needs our help then we will get on board."

A spokesman for the travellers said they had only pitched up in Bolton Woods because they had nowhere else to go. He said they planned to stay on the field for one week but claimed not to have realised it was a football pitch.

The travellers at Bolton Woods admitted to being the same group who had briefly been at Bierley Recreation Ground on Thursday.

Labour Tong ward councillor John Ruding thanked the council and police for their speedy action which meant youngsters would be able to play on the pitch at the weekend.

e-mail: kathie.griffiths@bradford.newsquest.co.uk