An unauthorised encampment of travellers is set to be moved on after blighting a village for nearly a week.

A group of eleven caravans relocated from one end of Wellfield Road, in Hartley, Longfield to the other, after being moved on by police last week.

Since they arrived residents in the quiet village have become increasingly frustrated followiing reports of anti-social behaviour.

They have reported stealing from the allotment, the cutting of the padlock into the park, the smashing down of a fence around the play area, and the constant barking of dogs.

The unauthroised encampment is currently located on the site a children’s play park in Woodlands Avenue.

But Dartford MP Gareth Johnson says he is now confident residents around the park will be able to breath a sign of relief in a few days as they will be served with orders to leave.

Mr Johnson said: “From the first evening these Travellers showed up in Hartley, I know that both Sevenoaks District Council and Hartley Parish Council have been working around the clock to try and have them removed.

“The Parish Council quickly obtained the court orders to have them evicted from Hoselands View but as we know, they have simply moved to the park in Woodlands Avenue.

The Tory MP added: “The necessary court orders have now been obtained to have them removed from Woodlands Avenue, if necessary using either bailiffs or police by this weekend.”

One resident, who did not want to be named, claimed the children’s playground was being used as a make-shift dog pen.

She said: “Dogs are constantly barking. Now a cockerel has been added to the mix too.”

“I dread to think what state this area will be left in if numerous amounts of dogs are left loose in there.”

And the resident said her children are now “absolutely petrified” of the visitors to their quiet village.

She added: “Not only can they no longer use the park, they are afraid to venture outside or walk past people who have caused such destruction and disruption to our quiet, usually peaceful village.

‘Dogs are constantly barking. Now a cockerel has been added to the mix too.’

Another resident alleged he witnessed them breaking in and stealing from the allotments and then cutting the lock off the gate to the play area in full view of the police.

He said: “They have been left to their own devices completely. As far as I am aware they have not even been approached by the council, MP or police since the ‘move’.

Mr Johnson says he is furious at the behaviour being reported.

“Travellers should not be above the law,” he said. “The law should apply to them in the same way as anybody else.

“Their actions in Hartley have been very selfish. They have caused damage to the grass in the park which is not designed to cope with vehicles.

“We all want them to be removed as quickly as possible and I know that an enormous amount of work is being carried out to achieve this.”

The unauthorised traveller encampment first arrived on a patch of grass between Larkfields and Wellfield on Ash Road, Hartley last Friday having been moved on from Swanley.

Police were quick to react and moved them on but the caravans only relocated 200 yards down the road.

A spokesman for Sevenoaks council said: “We have received a small number of noise reports concerning the traveller encampment.

“At this time, we are continuing to support Hartley Parish Council to draft and serve the legal notices to move the travellers on from the Parish Council’s land.”

Police were also approached for comment.