The group moved on to the privately-owned site near Greensward Lane in Rochford, Essex, on Friday and soon started digging up turf without planning permission.

Sawbridgeworth, East Hertfordshire was the latest area to be targeted by developers who arrived on Friday morning with huge lorries, fences going up and roads being blocked.

Residents of quaint Willows Green, in Essex , watched in horror as the travellers concreted over a field only hours after the local council closed on May 1.

The group moved on to the privately-owned site near Greensward Lane in Rochford, Essex, on Friday and soon started digging up turf without planning permission.

Residents of Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, came out in their hundreds over the weekend after a wildlife haven was ripped apart with heavy machinery, before caravans moved in.