A GROUP of travellers who have who have set up home at the Chiseldon Firs gypsy camp have been told they can stay, despite the fact that the site is officially closed.

A dozen caravans have moved onto the site, after a large trailer loaded with rubble which had been put in place by Swindon Council to block the main entrance, was pulled aside to allow vehicles past.

Because one of the travellers is reported to be suffering from a serious health problem, Swindon Council officers, working in partnership with the health authority have agreed to allow them to stay indefinitely.

Councillor Pete Brown (Lab, Liden), who has spent years liaising with travellers and people living in the area explained: "Currently there is a small group of travellers on the site who are not causing any problems at all and are keeping the area very clean.

"As I understand it, one of the group is suffering from poor health, and we think it is appropriate that they are allowed to remain on the site for the time being.

"Until such time that the health authority tells us that that the person is fit to move they can stay there."

One of the travellers at the site, who did not wish to be named said he was grateful for the way they had been treated.

"We have no complaints about how we have been looked after here," he said. "We are making sure that there is no mess left around. It is a shame that the last people here made a mess of the place. It ruins it for the rest of us."

The Chiseldon Firs site was closed in February after it was vandalised by travellers.

Swindon Council decided to close it after having to spend £20,000 to repair the damage and clear up the mess.

The site was left strewn with burnt-out cars, broken glass, human excrement and ripped down fences and took weeks for council workmen to clean up.

In an effort to avoid a repeat of the vandalism, Swindon Council is trying to recruit a paid manager who can live on or near the site to help liaise with the travellers living there and ensure that the facility is not abused.

The last manager of the site quit his post after months of threats and intimidation from travellers, culminating in his caravan being wrecked.

The site, which is surrounded by an area of outstanding natural beauty close to the Marlborough Downs and the Ridgeway, is seen as necessary to prevent travellers setting up on private land.

In 2001 there were 23 unauthorised gypsy encampments on council-owned land and many more on privately-owned sites.

The purpose-built transit site was opened in the 1970s in response to a Government Act in 1968.

Travellers passing through Swindon were allowed to stay there for up to 28 days, but the group that did the damage in February were there for nine months.