Kent County Council has been forced to take legal action after travellers pitched up near a Morrisons and refused to leave.

Those living at the illegal encampment, which is in a layby on Rushenden Road and Thomsett Way on Sheppey, were given a notice requesting they move on within 24 hours – this has not happened.

Cllr Mike Whiting, who represents the Island at county hall, said: “Travellers have been on a layby near Morrisons in Rushenden for about two weeks now.

“Following complaints by residents, I wrote to KCC asking if they were responsible for moving the encampment on, they said they were and have since issued a notice at the site.”

KCC confirmed a team visited the area last week and carried out the necessary welfare checks ahead of issuing a Section 77 notice requesting all but one caravan to leave within 24 hours.

A spokesman said: “This has not happened, and the case has now been passed to our legal team.

“One caravan has not yet been served with a request to leave but we are continuing to work with the occupiers.”

In a letter from KCC’s head of Gypsy and Traveller Service, Cllr Whiting was told that a magistrate hearing is being sought after to seek a Section 78 order.

This means a court may, on a complaint made by a local authority, make an order requiring the removal of any vehicle or other property that is present on the land and any person residing in it.