A GROUP of travellers insist they will be staying in Southwold, despite being requested to leave by irate residents.A convoy of caravans pitched up on the town's common on Sunday afternoon, and so far their occupants have remained defiant and ignored calls for them to move on, insisting they will being staying put for a week.

A GROUP of travellers insist they will be staying in Southwold, despite being requested to leave by irate residents.

A convoy of caravans pitched up on the town's common on Sunday afternoon, and so far their occupants have remained defiant and ignored calls for them to move on, insisting they will being staying put for a week.

But many townsfolk are incensed by their arrival, including John Miller, chairman of the Common Trust, which looks after the patch of land, who has vowed to seek a court order to have them removed.

Mr Miller said: 'It's never happened before - it's all a great shock.'

One traveller yesterday suggested that he and his companions had been the victims of persecution but insisted that they had no plans to move on and would remain on the common until this Sunday.

Mr Miller added that the trustees had met and agreed that it was an 'impermissible encampment' on the Common and action needed to be taken.

He said: 'I, along with two policemen and the clerk of the trust, went and served notice on them to quit. We stuck that on several different caravans.

'That's the first step already, the second step will be that we will apply for a court order. The people of Southwold are very disturbed.'