A GROUP of travellers face legal action after “spoiling” an area near one of York’s biggest museums.

A group of travellers have set up a “camp” at the entrance to Airfield Business Park, Elvington, parking about 30 cars and caravans yards from the Yorkshire Air Museum.

Ian Reed, the attraction’s director, said the camp was one of the first things visitors saw on their arrival.

He said: “It is very disappointing for thousands of people involved with the museum who make it a beautiful place for people to visit, only to have it spoiled overnight.”

There have also been reports of human waste being dumped around the camp, since the travellers’ arrival on Sunday.

Mr Reed said: “The camp happens every year, and it’s very frustrating for people who spend their lives creating something worthwhile only to have it despoiled.”

However, one business park worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said the travellers seemed “quite tidy”.

Christine Shepherd, co-ordinator of the York Traveller’s Trust, said it was a difficult situation.

She said: “Most travelling families will clean up after themselves and will only stay in one spot for a week or two. A lot of the local community are not happy with travellers being around and discriminate against them. Local authorities need to be thinking about legal places for the travellers to camp, rather than wasting a lot of taxpayers’ money by evicting them.”

A spokeswoman for City of York Council said the camp was on private land owned by Osbaldwick-based builders’ firm William Birch & Sons.

She said: “We have been in touch with the landowners who have confirmed they are taking the appropriate legal action to remove the travellers.”

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said they understood the group was en-route to Appleby Horse Fair, in Cumbria, and would be “leaving shortly”.