THE Startforth Park encampment is one of three illegal sites in Teesdale set up by travellers en-route to Appleby.

Other unlawful camps include one at the Harmire Industrial Estate, Barnard Castle, and one at Coach Lane, Staindrop.

However, police say traveller migration through the dale has passed off without serious incident so far.

Sergeant Simon Rogers, of Barnard Castle Police, said: “There has only been one reported crime over the weekend and this is not linked to the travellers' migration.

“We had 13 calls relating to travellers, but none of these have been of a serious nature.

“A number were from residents of Startforth Park and there have also been a few calls in relation to horses being in the children's play area at Winston.”

He said a horse box which had been reported stolen from an address in Cumbria earlier in the year had been recovered when police were called to the Wackerfield lay-by, on the A688 near Evenwood Gate, last week.

A Bishop Auckland man was arrested on suspicion on theft.

“With Appleby starting this Thursday we would expect a lot of the travellers to start making their way over during the next couple of days,” added Sgt Rogers.