Basildon Council wants to cut the £400,000 it spends cleaning up unauthorised traveller sites by moving encampments on quicker.

The council provided a “robust response” to a Government consultation on encampments and called for council and police powers to be extended when dealing with camps.

Leader Andrew Baggott, who is also chairman of the policy oversight and strategy committee, said: “Unauthorised encampments are a blight on the settled and the majority of law-abiding members of our gypsy and traveller community.

“The taxpayer is often left footing a hefty bill for clearing up the mess that is left behind.

“By completing this robust response, we are sending the clearest message possible to anyone and everyone that we are committed to dealing with this issue.”

Since April 2016, the borough has had 138 unauthorised encampments, with costs of dealing with these rising from £247,855 in 2016 to £399,712 in 2017/2018.

This sum went towards cleaning up waste, including human waste, legal fees and ridding the sites of asbestos and other hazardous material.

In November 2017, the High Court issued an injunction to help prevent incursions at various industrial estates and parks within the borough.

The council’s consultation response outlines the view current laws are too complicated and not consistently applied.

The authority’s comments also cover strengthening and extending Section 61 laws, which would to allow police officers to arrest those involved in trespassing on land.

British police can only move travellers on if they have used abusive or threatening behaviour, have caused damage and have six or more vehicles.

The Irish Option has been recommended by Rayleigh MP Mark Francois, while Southend West MP Sir David Amess said this week in Parliament: “Yet again, so-called travellers, which they absolutely are not, have turned up in public spaces and parks in Essex and areas such as Southend, causing havoc and at a cost to the council taxpayer.

"I hope the Government will look very carefully at the recommendation by our right honourable friend, the member for Rayleigh and Wickford, to go for the Irish option.”

Basildon Council wants power to move on extended to its own officers also rather than just the police.