The group of travellers, which had moved onto the Memorial Fields in North Petherton on Wednesday evening, have now left.

Town Mayor, Cllr Alan Bradford, said: “North Petherton is, and always has been, a kind, tolerant and law abiding community, and it is these qualities which have been employed by people working quietly and conscientiously behind the scenes, that have underpinned the successful, peaceful and safe resolution of this incident. 

"On behalf of our community I would like to particularly thank our Chairman of the Playing Fields Trust, Cllr Linda Hyde, and the local police who have worked tirelessly over the last couple of days to deal with this matter.”

“Things could have been different. We must not forget that we are in the middle of a fight against a deadly virus, a fight that, as recent statistics for the South West have shown, is far from won. It was therefore vital that this issue was resolved without risking the health and safety of our community”.

Although the travellers, as they agreed, left their rubbish in bags by the gates, immediate steps are now being taken to ensure that the fields are fully cleaned and open to the public as soon as possible.