A leading charity has called for Dundee City Council to do more for Travellers, as a new unofficial camp has been set up in the city.
At least six caravans are camped at Luna Place, in the Technology Park, and can be seen from Riverside Drive.
The site has been occupied almost continually since the start of the year, with numerous complaints received about rubbish in the area.
Emma Nuttall, advice and policy manager for Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT), an organisation that seeks to end discrimination and racism against Travellers, said the council is not doing enough to help them.
She said: “The problem is there is a huge shortage of permanent and transit sites available for Travellers.
“They, just like everyone else, are looking for security, but often don’t get this because local authorities aren’t acting in the right way and what they provide is completely insufficient.
“Friends, Families and Travellers has seen three generations of families living by the roadside because there just isn’t a provision for them to go anywhere and that can be very stressful for all involved,” she added.
“Not all Travellers want to stay in one location and that is why the council needs to provide transit sites for temporary stays.
“The European courts have said this has to be done, yet it’s clear that it doesn’t happen.”
When asked about the environmental impact of illicit sites and the rubbish that is often left, Ms Nuttall added that the UK Government’s own research showed this is not the case.
“Government studies have shown time and time again that the majority of Travellers don’t leave much of a mess,” she said.
Last month, city housing chief John Alexander said “nothing was off the table” in a bid to find a solution to the problem.
The comments come after it was revealed that there were at least 26 occasions in the last year where Travellers were camped unofficially in the city.
Dundee City Council already operates a Travellers’ site at Balmuir Wood on the A90 in Angus.