NORTH Yorkshire Police are investigating reports of a number of incidents on a York trading estate after a large group of travellers parked up their caravans.

Businesses on the Clifton Moor estate claim there has been intimidation and other criminal behaviour since the caravans arrived in Seafire Close last Friday.

The manager of one business contacted The Press to claim staff had been threatened, attempts had been made to break into properties and human waste had been left on land had been defecated on.

She said she understood the travellers had come to York for the Ebor Festival at York Racecourse and so would be intending to stay for the week, and so it would be difficult for legal action to move them on before they intended to go anyway.

Another business spokesman said the travellers had camped in the car park of a couple of businesses which had closed down, but were causing problems for other businesses in the area which were still in operation.

However, an employee at another business in the area said the travellers had moved out of the car park and on to the road, and had certainly not caused his business any problems.

A spokesman for the Clifton Moor Business Association said it took the concerns of its members very seriously, and any criminal attack on businesses or their premises was unacceptable.

The Press made several attempts to contact a spokeswoman for York Travellers Trust but she was unavailable for comment A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said officers had been called to Seafire Close on a number of occasions between Saturday and yesterday, following reports of a number of minor incidents.

“No one has been arrested in connection with these reports,” he added.