Security guards hired to keep track of Travellers in Worthing have cost council tax payers almost £4,500 in five days.

The borough council brought in guards after the group moved on to an unofficial site at Brooklands Park.

The travellers were evicted and security has since followed them round the town.

Most of the travellers moved from the park yesterday as the council prepared to serve eviction orders.

Security guards blockaded the car park at Worthing Leisure Centre, which was taken over by the same group before Christmas.

Some families arrived at the centre with caravans but the guards turned them away. Others moved on to a car park at West Worthing railway station.

Now the travellers have moved on to a car park in Sea Lane, Goring, angering local fishermen.

The travellers have about 16 caravans.

The council estimates the 24-hour security service to monitor the travellers and to try to prevent them moving on to unofficial sites has cost at least £4,320.

Further expense is expected as security guards block other vulnerable sites.

Martin Hosier from the council's business services department said: "There is confrontation brewing with the local fishermen.

"They say if no action is taken to remove them they will do it themselves.

"We will monitor them for the next couple of days to make sure they don't move on to one of our other sites.

"They invariably leave a lot of mess but I haven't been down to Brooklands Park yet to see.

"We have had complaints from people about not being able to use the car park or the park because the travellers are quite an intimidating presence."

"Some were showing an interest in the car park at Worthing Leisure Centre this morning. They were looking around at security we have on the site."

A spokesman for the British Transport Police, who are responsible for West Worthing station car park, said: "We served them with eviction notices within hours of them arriving. Damage has been caused to fencing to gain access."

Travellers at the car park refused to speak to our reporter.

However, a spokeswoman for support group Friends, Families and Travellers said: "They are in this situation because of the huge shortfall of local authority sites.

"Councils, including Worthing, are failing these traveller families because they don't provide enough sites and it's extremely stressful for them to be constantly evicted.

"The council should look to provide more sites for them and charge them for staying on a designated site rather than wasting the taxpayers' money chasing them around and paying legal costs."