A GROUP of travellers has caused major disruption at Simmons Park Car Park this week and Okehampton Town Council says it is doing all it can to ensure it is moved on as quickly as possible.

Eight caravans took over the car park on Monday night, the first arriving at around 4.30pm. Caravans were parked across bays, disrupting access to members of the public.

The travellers also disrupted a visit from the NHS mobile eye clinic on Tuesday morning. The large clinic van uses the car park as a base during visits to Okehampton, providing specialist care to glaucoma patients in the town and removing their need to travel to Exeter for an appointment.

In a statement, the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the clinic, said: 'The mobile eye clinic that was due to take place in Okehampton this morning was cancelled. All patients who were due to visit the clinic have been contacted and were offered either an alternative appointment today at the West of England Eye Unit in Exeter or to have their appointments re-scheduled.'

The car park is owned by Okehampton Town Council and the council's parks committee is responsible for the running of the facility. The committee chairperson Cllr Christine Marsh said the situation was worrying.

She said: 'The town council has been in touch with the police to discuss this and see what can be done about the situation. We are all very concerned about the situation, especially as the car park is so close to Okehampton College.

'The first caravan arrived at 4.30pm on Monday and by Tuesday morning the site was already a mess.

'We would like town residents to know that Okehampton Town Council is doing all it can to make sure that the travellers are moved on as quickly as possible.'

As the Times went to press on Wednesday morning, the travellers were still in the car park.