TRAVELLERS cost Monmouthshire council more than £1,000 in cleaning fees and loss of revenue after they moved into a local car park, it has emerged.

The cost was revealed after Cllr Susan White raised the matter during a full council meeting on Thursday night.

In a written question she asked Cllr Bryan Jones, the cabinet member for county operations, the full cost of the clear-up.

“The travellers' uninvited stay in Monmouth last week, adds up to: their hygiene needs, loss of parking revenue, officers time, the huge amount of un-recycled rubbish, to be picked up and dealt with out of working hours, so that Monmouth could accommodate the busy Friday market and parking, must amount to a considerable sum of money, this county can ill afford?

“Please could you tell me and the ratepayers of Monmouthshire, the full cost to us all?”

Cllr Jones told the full council meeting that the travellers arrived at the Monmouth car park near the bridge late in the evening on Tuesday, June 9.

“On June 10 environmental health and the car park manager undertook a needs assessment to assess any welfare or educational needs which we would need to meet and none were identified,” he said.

“A multi-agency case conference was held on Thursday to discuss actions and it was agreed that we would issue a direction advising the travellers they should leave the site by 7pm the following day: Friday, June 12.

“The direction was served on the travellers and they left the site. At 7.30am on Friday the cleaners and sweepers cleared the site and the car park was set up for the Friday market. By 9am the car park and market were operating as usual.”

He added: “The costs to the council were loss of car parking income equating to an estimated £284. “The cost of dealing with the travellers and clearing up following their departure amounted to £1,130. “That includes a £530 legal and environmental health charge.”

He added: “I would like to add that our team did a really good job there.”

Cllr White, Overmonnow ward, added that she was “in awe of anyone who would go in to clear a mess like that” and thanked those responsible.