A FUMING landowner was "shocked and disgusted" after council park rangers towed a traveller's caravan onto his disused field.

The group had broken down a fence to get onto the grassland but left a caravan on the council-owned St Paul's Cray Recreation Ground, Main Road.

Andy Hayward, 27, of London Road, West Kingsdown, who owns the vacant land on Crittalls Corner, Sidcup, is angry about the way police and council officers treated him.

Park rangers told Mr Hayward the group's water supply was in the caravan so it needed to be moved with them.

Mr Hayward said: "Someone who lives nearby phoned me to say travellers were breaking onto my land and I headed straight down there.

"But the council rangers were towing them on there and kept talking to me about their rights. What about mine? I was shocked and disgusted."

Mr Hayward said he was the victim but was made to feel as though he had done something wrong.

He said: "The way the police and council officers spoke to me was unbelievable. The travellers were towed on there but I was basically told it was my problem."

But Bromley Council's manager of the park ranger service, Toby Smith, said his team was assisting the police and following procedure.

Mr Smith said: "They were moved off a local park on April 17 and went onto this private land without us or the police knowing.

"We realised they had left a caravan behind and we towed it onto the land to keep them together and protect them from a gang of youths who had gathered in the park. It also had all their water in it."

He added: "We appreciate the owner's concerns and that is why we assisted police in moving them on as soon as we could on April 25."

A spokesman for Orpington police said: "The group was moved on with the assistance of the council and were believed to be heading towards the Bexleyheath area."

April 29, 2003 10:00