BOROUGH leaders are facing a costly clean-up operation after travellers finally left a nature reserve.
The 15 caravans had been illegally parked at Ince Reservoir Nature Reserve for nearly a fortnight.
They left in small groups on Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, leaving the once-beautiful site an 'absolute mess', according to angry residents.
One woman said: 'It's absolutely appalling the way they've left the reserve.
'There's a lot of driveway rubble and rubbish dumped there. There was also a little orchard but there's no trees left now. The travellers have cut them all down.
'They have also used part of the site as a toilet. It's heart-breaking. The site has been absolutely decimated.'
Borough council landscape officer Hazel Barber said: 'The site is now a horrible mess.
'It will take time, effort and a large amount of money to return it to the haven of wildlife and tranquillity that it used to be.'
The travellers had moved to Ince after being served legal notices forcing them to quit sites in Cromwell Road, Ellesmere Port, as well as near Chester Zoo and Littleton.
After leaving Cromwell Road some of the travellers moved to roadside verges in Bridges Road and Oil Sites Road, both in the Port.
After being moved on again by the authorities they turned-up in Ince at the beginning of May.
On May 2 the borough council, which owns the nature reserve there, served a legal notice on them to quit within 48 hours.
But the travellers ignored it, so the council took the case to Chester County Court where it was due to be heard on Friday - but by then the travellers had started moving out.
