Brighton and Hove City Council is hoping a new partnership with police will streamline the way it deals with travellers.

Under the initiative which police describes as a "partnership with teeth", a senior police officer will work with the council's travellers liaison team for two-and-a-half days a week.

A statement issued jointly by Superintendent Peter Coll, of Brighton police, and Gary Thurston, of the city council, said: "While this is a complicated and emotive area we must balance the rights and needs of individual travellers with the broader needs of the community.

"We believe this will provide a service to the public and to the travellers which is more professional, measured and consistent than before."

Police have already promised a more robust approach to travellers, especially when groups camp on or close to public parks.

The council has also earmarked £60,000 for fencing to try to prevent travellers moving on to vulnerable sites.

Bob Carden, the city councillor responsible for policing, said the new policy was not anti-traveller and would help protect vulnerable sites such as Preston and Stanmer parks.

He said: "They should not be allowed to set-up camp on public parks but one has to be a little bit tolerant on certain sites where they are not causing so much trouble.

"We are a compassionate council, a very compassionate council, but there is a limit to how far we can extend compassion.

"I would hope they would begin to learn Brighton and Hove is not the soft spot people have assumed it to be."