GREEN areas throughout Swindon will be "traveller-proofed'' with mounds if a crusading councillor has his way.

Pete Brown (Lab, Dorcan) has campaigned for years for something to be done to prevent travellers from illegally camping on local authority land.

Often the sites are left filled with rubbish and filth when the travellers leave, and council taxpayers foot the cleaning bill.

Coun Brown says he has nothing against travellers personally, but is strongly opposed to illegal encampments.

Now he is calling for a borough-wide move to restrict vehicle access to likely sites, costing up to £14,000. He said: "Travellers have caused one hell of a big problem in the past.

"There are many easily accessible bits of land so it seems sensible to do something about it before problems emerge."

The idea is to block off access to vehicles using low-level landscaped mounds.

Coun Brown said: "Believe it or not, travellers like to go to places where they can be quiet, such as behind trees, because they like their privacy as well."

Vulnerable sites identified include land at Snodshill in Liden adjacent to Fairlawns, and an area next to Okebourne Park.

Another is Elmore Park, where travellers have previously left broken window frames and shattered glass.

Coun Brown said: "Children could have been cut to shreds by the glass, which was just abandoned next to trees.

"We have had to get JCBs and cranes into sites before to remove the rubbish, so we are trying to do everything in our power to put things right."

He said the earth mounds would "definitely" be introduced before the end of the year, following the success in stopping travellers along Dorcan Way with similar measures.

"The architects have seen the plans and it's definitely going to happen," he explained.

"I have worked closely with officers on this for several years and all we have to do now is get it through the health and social services board but that shouldn't be any problem.

"If we don't spend the money now, we will have to pay for problems in the future and I think this project enjoys widespread support."

He also believes current legislation is too weak to deal with illegal encampments.

He added: "A change in legislation in 1994 made it more difficult for local councils to deal with the problem of travellers.

"Councils have to use the courts and inform travellers of their rights, but all to often they move on and then come back, and the process starts all over again."

South Swindon MP Julia Drown has thrown her weight behind Coun Brown's campaign and raised the issue in Parliament on Tuesday.

She said: "The law is not sufficiently strong, and I am pushing to ensure the rights of the settled community are better balanced against those of travellers.

"For a number of years, I have been trying to strengthen legislation to deal with the antisocial behaviour experienced all too often from some travellers in Swindon.

"Not all travellers cause trouble, but it's an all too frequent occurrence."