A gipsy site costing £100,000 to refurbish has been wrecked by invading travellers.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's only official purpose-built gipsy site, at South Bank, Middlesbrough, refurbished with washing facilities and power links, was wrecked when about 100 travellers arrived.

Reports of criminal damage, theft and assault got so bad that workers, and the gipsies who had been there previously, had to leave.

Yesterday, Councillor Dave McLuckie said the invading travellers had destroyed every wash unit at the site, and smashed sinks, toilets and kitchen areas.

"This is just mindless vandalism by the people who are supposed to benefit from sites like this," he said.

"It looks like a bomb site and it is so disappointing, because we were nearly finished.

"There are now no facilities for anyone and gipsies who want to stay in the district will have to be moved on, using the legal methods. They have got no one to blame but members of the travelling community."

Coun McLuckie said it could be months before the repairs were carried out.

Meanwhile, in Middlesbrough, council workers are picking up the pieces after a group of travellers turned a public car park into a dumping ground.

About 30 caravans had been on the land at Cannon Park for a month. The council was due to serve an enforcement notice on them today but they moved on during the weekend.

They left behind rubbish, empty gas canisters, broken paving slabs and branches.

One angry motorist said: "This car park is supposed to be used by the public and they have not been able to because it has been full of caravans. It looks disgraceful now and it will cost the people who actually pay council tax money to put it right."

A council spokesman said the clear-up would take place over the next few days.