A small group of travellers who set up an unauthorised encampment on a beauty spot have been evicted following a court order.

Four campervans, four vans and two cars were spotted on part of Dartford Heath earlier this week.

The unauthorised encampment, located on land off the A2 on Rochester Way, is believed to have arrived on Monday.

Enforcement officers from Dartford council visited the grassland site the same day and served a section 77 notice ordering the campers to vacate the land by noon the following day.

A court hearing also took place at Sevenoaks Magistrates Court yesterday, where council officers sought an order for their removal by 6pm today should they refuse to leave.

This was granted in court and those camping without authorisation were given 24 hours to leave the site.

However, as of 6pm last night the group were still present at the site.

A Dartford council spokesman has since confirmed the group left the site yesterday evening.

Under section 77 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 a local authority can order any person living in a vehicle within its area to move off any land.

A criminal offence is committed if travellers fail to leave the land as soon as possible after receiving an order to move, and they can be fined.

It comes a week after legal action was taken on a group that moved on to a field in Twydall, Gillingham, at the beginning of the month.

On that occasion a convoy of 20 caravans moved onto the recreation ground off Cornwallis Avenue, near McDonald's, on Wednesday, May 4.