ouncil officers and police are attempting to move a group of travellers off a grass verge near Darent Valley Hospital.

Five caravans and associated vehicles pulled up on the grass bank off Watling Street, Dartford, last Thursday.

They were spoken to by council officers on Friday morning and told to leave, or fill in welfare forms provided stating reasons they needed to stay. The group remained over the weekend and no forms were sent back.

This week Dartford council applied for a summons for the travellers to attend Medway Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday however they failed to attend.

The removal order was served, issued by magistrates, for the group to leave the unauthorised encampment by 10am today.

Enforcement Officers and police attended the area at 10am to ensure they had complied to the order, and are still in the processed of moving them off the verge.