Travellers who broke onto a popular park will remain on site for days, if not weeks.

A group of about 20 vehicles moved onto Hollingbury Park, off Ditchling Road, Brighton on Saturday.

This was after they were evicted from Carden Park - about a mile away.

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After Sussex Police said the unauthorised encampment did not meet the requirements for an immediate eviction, Brighton and Hove City Council will now have to go through the courts to secure an eviction.

An email sent to councillors yesterday said the group gained entry to the park after breaking a lock on a gate near Hollingbury Golf Course.

A council spokesman said: “Officers have visited the site with police.

“Council policy is to close such unauthorised encampments on parks as soon as possible. But this requires a court order.

“To get this, the law requires us first to make welfare checks and it then takes a while for the court to issue the order.

“We operate as quickly as national law permits and this policy has not changed for years. We're preparing legal paperwork now.”