Travellers who set up camp in a golf course car park have been ordered to leave.

Six caravans moved into the car park at Benfield Valley pay-and-play golf course at Hangleton on Thursday night.

They arrived there after being told to leave a temporary site at nearby Hangleton Bottom occupied by seven related families.

A padlock on a height restriction barrier preventing large vehicles entering the golf course car park had been broken and the barrier pushed back.

Hangleton councillor Peter Willows informed the golf course's owner after being alerted by nearby residents.

He said: "The barrier was put up to prevent travellers using the car park after they had caused problems in the past.

"It was secured with a strong lock which appears to have been broken off with bolt croppers."

Police visited the site yesterday to serve orders on the travellers telling them to leave within 24 hours or their caravans would be towed away.

The travellers at Hangleton Bottom are being allowed to stay there by Brighton and Hove City Council for humanitarian reasons.

They are all part of the same extended family, which includes Maxine Neugent and her four-year-old son Johnny.

He is expected to have an operation to remove his spleen at the Royal Alexander Children's Hospital, Brighton, after Christmas.

The council has given the group permission to use the disused council compound at Hangleton Bottom until Johnny has recovered from the operation.

There have been no complaints from residents about their behaviour.