POLICE and councillors may gain extra powers to remove travellers who are illegally encamped in Medway following a new Government policy announced this week.

A radical overhaul of policy aims to tackle growing concern about nuisance and disorder arising from such encampments.

The problem of travellers parked on council and private land has caused public concern over the past few years in Medway.

Now police will have increase powers to move on unauthorised traveller camps, providing local authorities have made enough provision for temporary and emergency stopping sites proportionate to the number of travellers passing through the area.

Cllr Howard Doe, portfolio holder for heath and community, said he hoped the rule on council providing enough accommodation didn't prove to be a get-out clause for the Government.

He said: "The Government has acted because it is becoming obvious that the nuisance caused by travellers is increasingly unacceptable to voters. I think it's important to take a balanced approach on this, but I will be looking closely at what they mean by local authorities building enough stopping sites. It is very difficult to say which authority is responsible for which travellers because they move around all the time."