THE owner of a cafe in a prime park beauty spot has said she is delighted that travellers have moved on and she hopes to reopen today.

Lisa Macmillan, 38, temporarily closed J’s Cafe and Deli in Wild Park, Brighton, on Sunday after around 40 caravans arrived last Thursday The Argus revealed yesterday.

She and other businesses had complained that traveller children running riot were causing damage and deterring customers, who were also put off by the sight of the illegal encampment.

It was feared it could take up to ten days to move the group on, but on Tuesday the council and police agreed emergency measures to force them to move yesterday morning.

Miss Macmillan said yesterday: “It’s amazing. I am so happy. People I have spoken to have said normally it can take weeks and weeks.”

Although Wild Park has been a common unauthorised destination for travellers, Miss Macmillan said she hoped a forthcoming transit site for 21 caravans, in Horsdean, would make a difference.

She said: “It should be open in a few weeks so I am hoping that is it now and we can move on in a positive way rather than having all this negativity.

“Now we are just going to go forward and try and build the business back up.

“It is such a beautiful place to be; I have people coming up and staying all day. I love going to work in the morning.

“These past few days have been really upsetting. Thankfully it has not gone on too long but it is the whole effect. Now we need to try and get people to come back into the park.”

However, while there has been a reprieve for Miss Macmillan and other businesses around Wild Park, it appeared many of the travellers had moved onto nearby Preston Park, and there was also an unauthorised encampment in Stanmer Park.

A council spokesperson said: “We are currently assessing with the police which action to take with regard to these encampments.”

The council said the emergency powers to move the travellers on from Wild Park were agreed due to the impact on businesses and reports of anti-social behaviour, but noted that the threshold for the powers was high.

Until the transit site is open, the council will otherwise need to rely on going to the county court to get a possession order for land.

This can take up to ten days.