Travellers have left the site of a derelict pub in Huddersfield three weeks after moving in.
But they have left a trail of rubbish at the car park of the former Spotted Cow pub on New Hey Road in Salendine Nook.
The travellers arrived in early July, and quickly put up a sign in the pub car park saying “rugs for sale.” Several rugs were draped over the wall at the front of the pub.
They were also using generators which led to nearby residents complaining about noise.
Local councillor Cahal Burke was contacted by several residents about the issue.
He said: “They left on Sunday evening but they have left a mess behind them.
“Apparently the travellers had first tried to get on to recreation land in the area, without success.
“Then they arrived at the Spotted Cow, and the council had been quite limited as to what it could do as the site is private land.
The landowner was notified and told by the council that legal action could be taken to have them evicted.
“Had it been council property, the council could have taken enforcement action, but the travellers have now gone anyway.
“But they have left a considerable mess behind and they have dumped some rubbish there.”
He said he was pleased that action to make the recreation land in the area secure had proved successful.
“I asked for that to happen after previous attempts to get on the land and that seems to have worked very well.”
He said some sort of development of the former pub could stop future problems.
“We have to hope that this particular site is brought back into use quite soon. There have been discussions with regard both retail and housing on the site.
“There has been anti-social behaviour at the site, and we are hoping it can be brought back into use.”
In a separate development, travellers set up camp on land off Leeds Road in Huddersfield last week.
According to neighbours they entered the site, along the Bradley to Birkby Greenway, after cutting through a bolt used to secure the site.
It is thought they attempted to move boulders blocking the site opposite F&G Commercials. The Examiner understands that Kirklees Council is taking steps to evict them.
