Travellers who set up camp in the car park of a golf course were moved by police days before two women in the group were due to give birth.

More than 30 travellers moved into the car park of Benfield Valley golf course in Hove earlier this week.

A club spokesman said they made it impossible for people to play.

One of the travellers, Debbie, 18, had to be rushed into hospital by ambulance as the group was about to leave the site under police escort.

The other pregnant woman, Mary, travelled with the rest of the convoy.

Brighton and Hove City Council had given the two women the right to stay but said the rest of the travellers had to go.

Traveller Samantha Lee said: "Another lady here has a bad heart and another has just had a baby, which is due to be christened."

Other travellers said they wanted to stay at the site to get an education.

Jason, 12, said: "We want to go to school because we can't read and we want to learn to use the internet. We want to learn to read and to make friends."

Steve Callow, who runs the golf course, said: "I could not operate.

"They took over the car park and were walking over the greens.

"I was told to put up height barriers but I couldn't do that because many people who play golf arrive by van."

Another member of the travellers said: "They have treated us like dirt and, because of it all, the girl has gone into labour early.

"An ambulance had to be called as she was feeling very stressed and thought her waters were about to break.

"The authorities are trying their best to break us up. We come in peace and we don't litter the areas we live in.

"There were at least three police vans, two police cars and a few unmarked cars. It was totally over the top."

Emma Nuttall, from the Friends, Families and Travellers Advice and Information Unit in Brighton, said it was Government-recognised good practice that local authorities should take welfare issues into consideration before evicting travellers.

She said: "Under this Government's guidance, camping is not a criminal activity. Authorities should take issues like medical care and education into account.

"A quarter of travelling people are in unauthorised sites because they lack the provision of local authority caravan sites.

"The solution is to provide enough caravan sites for these people. These families are legally homeless and they are entitled to be housed in, culturally what is in their case, caravans."