UGLY concrete barriers aimed at stopping travellers from camping on parks and green spaces are being removed by Dudley Council.

The first of the controversial barricades has been taken out at Cot Lane in Kingswinford in what the council says is a victory over unauthorised traveller encampments.

Councillor Patrick Harley, Conservative leader of Dudley Council, said: “We promised people in Dudley borough that we would get a traveller encampment up and running to help protect the public purse from unauthorised encampments.

“We are now in a position to start removing concrete posts from our parks and green spaces, which is a victory for our borough and our residents over those who have sought to illegally occupy public land.”

The issue of a travellers site and illegal encampments has seen Conservative and Labour councillors clash in the past.

In 2018, Labour suspended construction of a proposed council run caravan park in Budden Road in Coseley.

Travellers on illegal pitches can be ordered to move to authority run sites or be forced to leave the borough in two hours.

The location was bitterly opposed by residents and councillors who said the land was contaminated and surrounding roads were unsuitable for caravans and towing vehicles.

In 2019, concrete barriers were placed around land thought to be at risk from travellers illegal encampments as a search for a new council run site began.

Tory councillors said the barriers made parks look like concrete jungles.

In May 2019, Conservatives took control of the council and in January this year announced the Budden Road site was back on.

It was completed a few weeks ago allowing the removal of barriers to begin.

Dudley Council bosses hope the site will help to stop unauthorised encampments by travellers moved on by other Black Country councils.