Travellers have moved on to a former factory site at Eaton Socon, pictured.

The run-down site, on Little End Road, had recently been earmarked for development of a care home and houses by Frontier Estates.

Cambridgeshire police said officers were patrolling the area after the travellers – about 16 caravans – moved onto the site on April 8.

A spokesman told The Hunts Post: “We are aware of the encampment and are working with the legal representatives of the landowner who is seeking to secure a court order to remove them from the land.”

Duncan Ford, development director at Frontier Estates, said: “As long-term investors we take the security of all of our development sites extremely seriously. Unfortunately our site was broken into and is currently being occupied illegally.

“We are tackling the issue and are working with the police, and within the courts system, to remove the illegal occupiers as quickly as possible. Securing the site for us, and our neighbours, is our top priority.”

Both town and district councillor Roger Harrison and district councillor Derek Giles said they had received complaints from residents.

Cllr Giles said: “I have had six or seven comments from residents that they are there making a mess.”

Cllr Harrison added: “I am closely liaising with the police and the developers in terms of trying to get them moved on. People are generally worried about them being there.”

Frontier has plans to build a 70-bedroom nursing and care facility on the site along with 40 new homes, 30 or 40 per cent of which would be affordable housing. The plans are in the early stages and planning permission has not yet been sought.