Workmen have built a barricade in a car park to stop a convoy of travellers from setting up camp.

More than 20 cars and caravans have been surrounded by Sea Containers workers, who have blocked off both entrances to their Newhaven site.

Workmen spent more than half an hour using a forklift truck to ferry concrete blocks up from the quay yesterday.

The blocks are covered in No Camping signs and, along with two large trailers, restrict access to the car park.

The travellers can get back out on to the road but cannot move further into Sea Containers' area.

The action comes less than a fortnight after Sea Containers had another convoy of travellers evicted from the town.

Resident Chris Harwood overlooks the car park from his home in Chapel Street.

He said: The travellers had only been here a few hours when the Sea Containers men turned up with a forklift truck and started blocking off the exits with concrete blocks with no camping signs on them.

"At one point it looked like there was going to be a major stand-off between the workmen and the travellers but after some discussion everything seemed to calm down."

A Sea Containers spokesman said: "We have blocked off the area temporarily.

"This is specifically related to the travellers who have arrived."

"The idea is if we block them off they will just leave."

The company plans to repeat legal proceedings to move the group in conjunction with police.