A total of 12 caravans have left the Millennium Centre car park in Dagenham after they were given two hours to leave the site by Barking and Dagenham’s Street Enforcement Team.

The Council was granted an injunction, thought to be the first of its kind in England and Wales last October, that bans unlawful campsites from being set up as well as prohibiting fly-tipping.

Any breach of the order is a contempt of court, punishable by a term of imprisonment.

The council have used this power for the second time in three weeks with officers arriving on site and advising the travellers they had two hours to depart the car park with their caravans.

The council will continue to work alongside the authorities to ensure sites are protected in the borough

The travellers were shown a copy of the injunction and opted to vacate the premises.

Councillor Laila Butt, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Our main priority is making sure that we protect residents and their businesses. The injunction gives us the opportunity to make the borough a safer, cleaner place.

“We are not prepared for illegal encampments to be set up in this borough, and we will act quickly to ensure they are moved on, as we have today.

“The council will continue to work alongside the authorities to ensure sites are protected in the borough and we will clamp down on any unlawful behaviour that takes places on these sites.”