A SITE which had been blighted by fly-tipping and used as an illegal travellers' encampment has cost thousands of pounds to clean up, we can reveal.

Travellers moved into Black Ash Park, in Lliswerry, back in September last year.

Residents later aired their anger when rubbish was left strewn across the park.

A total of £8,424.05 was paid by Newport City Council to arrange the eviction of the travellers and to clean up the park, a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by the Argus has now shown.

To clear approximately 20 tonnes of rubbish from the site saw three visits which cost £3,244.05, and repairs to the park - including goal posts - cost £310, new padlocks and gates cost £200 and a blockstone cost £979.

The cost of eviction included a £66 initial court order and a high court order and enforcement court order which totalled £3,625.

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Councillor Roger Jeavons, cabinet member for Streetscene for Newport City Council, whose staff carried out the cleansing operation, condemned the state of the park.

He said: “We were appalled at the state the park was left in following this illegal encampment however we had to follow the legal procedures to remove the encampment and pay for the clear up.”

Residents in the area have also hit out at the cost of clearing up the park.

Lliswerry resident Rhys Hughes said: "It is a disgusting waste of tax payers' money.

"Think of where that money could have been spent.

"The culprits should be caught and forced to spend the money to clean the park up, not us. I am annoyed."

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Cllr Allan Morris, who is the independent councillor for Lliswerry, described the cost as "shocking".

"People would like to see those who caused the problem to pay to fix it," he said.

"At a time when money is short it is terrible to be spending this sort of money.

"I hope those who are responsible are caught."

And another resident, Liz Price, added: "The mess that was left all over the park has caused lots of problems for many of us.

"Football teams and dog walkers had to go elsewhere.

"I hope who did this gets caught because people love this park and they caused a lot of damage to it."