Council bosses have told travellers to move on after they set up camp around an abandoned pub near Herne Bay.

About 10 caravans and motorhomes moved onto the former Share and Coulter site in Greenhill last night.

The pub, which was sold by Shepherd Neame in October 2015, is a fly-tipping hotspot.

Last month, Canterbury City Council spent thousands of pounds clearing mounds of rubbish, bricks and rubble.

They installed blockades to stop people fly-tipping, but they appear to have been removed.

Now leaders at the authority have told the travellers to leave immediately.

"Officers from the council and police visited the Share and Coulter site earlier today," council spokesman Leo Whitlock said.

"The council has spent considerable amounts of council taxpayers' money cleaning up this site..." - Leo Whitlock, Canterbury City Council

"They reminded those who are camped on the land that it is subject to an injunction and they must leave immediately to avoid legal action.

"We were given a commitment they would be moving on in the next couple of hours and we will be closely monitoring the situation.

"The council has spent considerable amounts of council taxpayers' money cleaning up this site and we hope it will be left in suitable condition."

Artie Lockhart is the owner of neighbouring Prospect Farm.

"I heard a bit of a kerfuffle there last night and obviously all these caravans turned up overnight," he said.

"They are not allowed to be there and there are signs from Canterbury City Council warning against anyone going onto the site.

"And yet if I tried to move so much as a wheelbarrow down there, they'd be on to me. The police really should be down here right now sorting this out."

Police spokesman Steve Knight said: "We were made aware of the presence of travellers on land off Owls Hatch Road, Herne Bay, this morning.

"No criminal offences have been reported and the landowner is aware."