A CIVIC rubbish and recycling tip was forced to close after visitors and workmen said they were attacked by travellers throwing stones.

Some three weeks ago a group of 60 caravans parked on land next to the Capstone Civic Amenity Site in Shawstead Road, Chatham.

Members of the public were targeted by the gang as they drove to the site to dispose of rubbish.

A man working in the area, who did not want to be named, said: "Stones were thrown by the children at members of the public turning up with items for recycling. Some of us rang up the council to complain about it."

Council officers finally took action and closed the household waste and recycling site at Shawstead Road last Wednesday.

It re-opened on Friday after the travellers had moved out the night before following a court order.

Medway Council would not comment on the alleged stone-throwing incidents but said that the site had been closed "on health and safety grounds". It said a notice explaining the temporary closure had been posted on the gates to the site and at the end of the road.

During the closure members of the public were told to use two other Medway waste sites, at Ambley Road off Hoath Way, Gillingham and Sundridge Hill, Cuxton.

All that remains of the travellers' presence is the piles of rubbish strewn over the council land next to the tip.

Another man working at the site added: "They have been coming here for the last two years and always make such a mess."

Ward councillor and deputy leader of the council Cllr Alan Jarrett said the travellers were a constant nightmare. "They are a perpetual problem and, of course, we have high court orders preventing them from staying there, but they are moving on to different sites faster.

"On this occasion they affected the local amenities more than usual and this caused health and safety problems because we cannot put the public at risk."