Around 10 caravans have set up camp in a field near McDonald's in Bradford Road – only hours after seven caravans were moved on from the station car park yesterday.

Brighouse councillor Colin Stout (Ind) said: "It seems they are all part of the same clan and are giving the police the run around. Half seem to have gone one way and the other half went to Bradford Road."

He said the police and Calderdale Council were working together to move the travellers on.

Residents in the area have been outraged by the situation and have reported it to Calderdale Council who own the land. They have started the process to evict the travellers.

A council spokesman said community wardens had been to see the travellers to ask them to move on: "If that doesn't happen then we will take appropriate enforcement action."

The first group of travellers arrived at the railway station car park which is owned and managed by Northern Rail on Monday night causing chaos for commuters.

Motorists were attempting to drive into the car park then turn away on seeing the caravans.

Coun Stout went to talk to the travellers on Monday evening. He was told they were making their way to Scotland but had heard the weather was bad and stopped in Brighouse.

He said they had been looking around at other sites which they could move to with a hard surface because with the bad weather the caravans were sinking. "They were looking round the area at Owler Ings Road behind the Jobcentre, Atlas Mill Road and Tesco's car park," he said.

He told the police, who stepped up their patrols.

Commuters and people living nearby were also angry saying the Birds Royd Lane car park was not a suitable site.

One man, who did not want to be named, said: "It's used and needed by the people of this town and Rastrick and places this side of Huddersfield to get trains to work.

"It's not a place where people can just pitch up and decide to live there."

British Transport Police confirmed they had received reports on Monday of travellers in the station car park. A spokeswoman said: "BTP officers are working in partnership with West Yorkshire Police and Northern Rail, who own the car park, to resolve the issue. Officers are also investigating after receiving an allegation that a man had been bitten on the leg by a dog at Brighouse station.

"The incident was reported to police at 8.45am on Tuesday, and the victim suffered superficial injuries."

A spokeswoman for Northern Rail said an eviction notice had been served on Tuesday evening and by Wednesday morning everyone had left the site.

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