Two groups of Travellers have set up camp at separate sites in Dundee.
The news comes just one day after it was announced that the number of Traveller camps had dropped substantially when compared with last year.
The latest sites have popped up at Baldovie Road next to West Pitkerro Industrial Estate and in a layby on Coupar Angus Road, almost directly opposite the north gate of Camperdown Park.
There are currently two caravans parked on the layby near Camperdown, with reports of up to four transit vans regularly joining them at the site.
One local resident, who wished not to be named, said: “I live in the area and there are travellers living up there.
“They seem to be taking rubbish from people, gardening clippings and so on, and dumping stuff in the hedge.
“They are coming and going, travelling backwards and forwards to the layby in their trucks.
“There are dogs running about and bits of scrap metal lying everywhere.
“At night there seems to be a lot more vans and pickups congregating around that area.”
A spokesman for Dundee City Council said: “We are aware of the situation and are monitoring the situation.”
A separate group of Travellers at the West Pitkerro Industrial Estate arrived on Thursday night and had said they would only be staying the night.
However, when visited by The Courier yesterday afternoon the group was still in place, with several caravans and other vehicles on the grass.
It is thought to be the first time groups of Travellers have stayed at either location.
Figures released earlier this week showed the number of illicit camps had dropped from 38 last year, suggesting council efforts to reduce the numbers had been working.
Up until this point, there had been no camps on public or private land in the city this summer.
John Alexander, convener of the city’s neighbourhood services committee, pledged to look into the latest camps.
He said: “Whenever an encampment of Travellers sets up, our liaison officer will go to see them. That’s our first port of call — he will speak to them to find out where they have come from, where they are heading and how long they plan to stay.
“He will also make them aware of the designated Traveller sites they can go to.
“Once we find out what their plans are we will decide what action, if any, we need to take.
“We try to be reasonable with the Travellers but we also have a duty to the local, settled population.
“We have been working hard at this a while now and our efforts are paying off.”
