A parish council has been praised by an MP for spending £36,000 to stop travellers pitching up on parks and playgrounds.

Leybourne Parish Council has increased the precept by 10% to help pay for the measures which include fencing, gates and drop down posts.

The investment in Castle Way and Old Barn Road has allowed for preventive measures to be put in place.

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Tom Tugendhat, Tonbridge and Malling’s MP, has praised the parish council chairman’s work in the past and supported the initiative to stop travellers becoming a nuisance in public areas.

He said: “Bob Ulph has done a lot in the area to improve the environment so there are parks and playgrounds and I support residents in making sure their community is as it should be.

“One particular playground is next to an area of land that has been occupied on various occasions and caused problems.”

He said one parcel of land has not been properly closed off - something now being addressed by the council.

Meanwhile an illegal encampment caused Aylesford Rugby Club to change its security policy.

Up to eight caravans set up at Aylesford Bulls in Hall Road on May 18, taking advantage of a gate left open for a netball league night.

But as the club prepares to lock its gates during the day, its general manager has said people need to be more aware of how to get encampments moved on.

This comes just weeks after Aylesford Parish Council blocked neighbouring Ferryfield Recreation Ground’s entrance with concrete blocks to stop travellers moving in.

The KM revealed how the bollards were installed after the locks were damaged and came after caravans moved onto land in Larkfield and Leybourne.