The council has revealed its progress in attempting to combat illegal encampments though a borough-wide injunction in Reading.

Reading Borough Council (RBC) is still gathering evidence to support an application to introduce an injunction against illegal camps and said it “does not underestimate the impact of anti-social behaviour on local communities”.

A council spokesman said RBC “hopes to be in a position where an application can be submitted to the court in Autumn for an initial hearing”.

Borough-wide injunctions have been granted to 34 councils in the last two years but the High Court recently rejected a borough-wide injunction in Bromley.

Craig Morley, the Conservative Party’s parliamentary candidate for Reading East, has written to RBC chief executive Peter Sloman calling for injunctions.

Mr Morley said: “I am writing after hearing from a number of residents about their horrendous experiences with travellers establishing illegal encampments in the town – most recently in Clayfield Copse and Cintra Park.

“Residents are fed up with rubbish being left behind, antisocial behaviour, harassment and intimidation.

“At the moment, many councils go through the same process of serving court orders each and every time an illegal encampment is established. “Court injunctions cut that time right down – encampments can be moved on the same day they arrive.”

A report at the Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure committee in November 2018 announced that officers had been gathering evidence in support of a new and potentially borough-wide injunction on unauthorised encampments by named travellers.

Mr Morley has also called for barriers around the perimeter of green spaces such as Cintra Park and Clayfield Copse.

He said: “Councillor Clare Grashoff has been trying to get the council to build an earth embankment around Clayfield Copse.

“A local company has offered the earth for free but the parks department have not got back to them. It has been dragging on for months.”

The council spent £104,000 on defence measures in 2017/18

A RBC spokesman responded: “The council has agreed to build an earth mound at Clayfield Copse to help protect it from further incursions, which have proved to be very effective in other parts of Reading.

“It was explained at the time that investigations of land ownership may take some time, as the last thing we want to do is build a mound only to have to remove it at a later stage.

“Land searches indicate some of the required land is not council owned and we now are seeking legal guidance on a way forward. Cllr Grashoff has been informed of the latest position.”