Travellers ruin Prees Heath beauty spot

Bags of rubbish have been left strewn across a Shropshire nature reserve after travellers who set up camp there moved on.

More than 40 caravans were parked on Prees Heath Common, near Whitchurch for a week. But now the travellers have moved on, conservationists said they are facing a major clear up to restore the reserve, which is home to a nationally-important population of the silver-studded blue butterfly.

Stephen Lewis, warden for Butterfly Conservation, which owns the site, said he was disappointed that bags of rubbish had been left behind. He said the travellers arrived on May 22 and left on Sunday.

Mr Lewis said: "They have left now and there is lot of rubbish left behind. Lots of it seems to be garden waste collected from working at people's homes.

"We will have to arrange some sort of proper clean up but we have moved some of the rubbish away already."

It is believed the travellers gained access to the site through vandalised gates.

Mr Lewis said the gates in question would be replaced to prevent future illegal access to the land.

Since buying the site in 2006n Butterfly Conservation has embarked on a restoration project to secure the 60 hectare site against fly-tipping and illegal vehicle access, and to establish a nature reserve for the butterflies.