A Watford councillor has slammed the “farcical” council for allowing travellers to dump mountains of rubbish in woodland for the second time in just a few days.

A number of caravans and other vehicles arrived in the King George V Playing Fields in West Watford on Friday afternoon.

READ MORE: Mountains of rubbish discovered behind traveller site​

After the travellers were moved on by police, neighbours were disgusted to find a huge mess left in their stead, with piles of fly-tipped waste festooning the nearby picturesque woodland.  

Now images have emerged of similar scenes in the woodland behind North Watford Playing Fields – the site where the traveller group relocated to.

Cllr Asif Khan bemoaned the way they were allowed to pitch up at another site in Watford within hours of being kicked out of the first.

“It couldn't get more farcical. The council and police have somehow engineered the travellers who were in West Watford and are now in North Watford Playing Fields,” he said.

“They should have escorted the people out of town. People around the playing fields are very anxious.

“This park recently won a Green Flag and the tennis courts were done up. But the mess left is a real eyesore.”

He also said it appeared as though the lock to the field had been broken so vehicles could gain entry.

Cllr Karen Collett, the council's portfolio holder for community, said: “Officers were on site within one hour of the travellers arriving in Watford, and a notice requiring them to leave was served within three.

"We have to follow the due legal process but did so much quicker than the majority of councils.

"The travellers were moved from the King George Playing Fields on Chaffinch Lane on Friday afternoon. They did initially relocate to North Watford, however, action was taken immediately to require them to move on and they left over the weekend.

"When situations like this arise, we make it our priority to take swift action to make sure it is dealt with promptly and in a proper manner. Working with our partners Veolia we are now ensuring the areas are cleaned up thoroughly and are again looking at how we can further secure land.”