ANGRY residents are refusing to pay their council tax until the council has cleared up the mess at an illegal travellers' camp.

Householders are furious that nearby land has been used as a dumping ground for building materials and felled trees. They claim that members of a travelling community staying at the site, near John Dixon Lane in Darlington, over the past two weeks are responsible for the fly-tipping. Residents say the land is usually used for walking dogs and a play area for children. Most of the travellers left on Wednesday after Darlington Borough Council served a notice of intended prosecution for trespass, but several have remained. Any remaining caravan owners will receive a summons to appear before Darlington magistrates. One resident, who asked not to be named, said local people were so angry that their council tax would be used to clear up the mess that some have cancelled their direct debits to pay their council tax bills. He said: "I am not going to pay any council tax until they have all been moved on. They have been served with a notice and some are still there. I'm not bothered if they take me to court, I'm not paying. "It is something that we are doing in protest because we are disgusted at the mess that has been left. The council should have acted quicker to get them moved on." Residents have complained of finding human excrement in bushes and of late-night noise. Police said they would arrest anybody caught committing anti-social behaviour. A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said a clean-up would be under way once the site is clear. But he added: "When people don't pay their council tax, it just makes it more difficult for those that do."