THERE were huge sighs of relief in a Devon village after a convoy of travellers' caravans quit the village green.

As revealed in the Echo, residents of Clyst St Mary, near Exeter, were stunned when travellers moved on to the green and nearby children's play area.

Specialist contractors had only just finished cleaning up the area after an earlier occupation by travellers lasting more than three weeks.

The cost of the clean-up was put at about £1,500.

An emergency council meeting was called to consider drafting in a security firm to force the latest group of travellers to move on.

But they decided to leave of their own accord.

Chairman of the local parish council, Mike Norman, who has led the action to free up the field for local children on holiday, said: "We are all absolutely delighted and pleased that it has ended this way.

"They had said at the last minute that they would not leave unless we got a court order but in the end, they slipped away quietly.

"They have not left a great deal of mess but then they have only been there a few days."

Mr Norman said the special council meeting called to deal with the latest incident was now expected to be called off.

He added: "We shall be progressing with our plans to build a Devon bank around the entrance." He hoped work could start today.

"That should make the green more secure. We have also put in an extra skip at the entrance and we will be ensuring the gate is kept securely locked."

The travellers arrived days after the site was professionally decontaminated — at a cost of £1,500 — after the previous visit by about 20 caravans.

Plans were in hand to improve security around the green but before they could be started, the new band of travellers arrived on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, residents in Pinhoe are concerned that boulders preventing travellers from accessing a field have been moved for grass-cutting and not returned.