TRAVELLERS have halted work on a £250m showpiece development.

Construction of offices next to buildings such as the Baltic arts and Sage music centres, in Gateshead, has stopped since the travellers moved in.

Gateshead Borough Council took legal action to force them to leave, but they moved a few yards away to another part of the site, leaving rubbish strewn around the site.

Officials are now locked in a second battle to evict them.

There is a legal site for travellers less than a mile away.

In January, 20 caravans moved on to the site of the Baltic Business Quarter, which will create up to 7,000 jobs, between Hawks Road and the Felling bypass.

Eviction proceedings began and the council received an injunction to move the travellers. However, after the order was served, they merely moved to another part of the site.

Last month, another 27 caravans arrived on the land, which was once Saltmeadows council estate.

The council has now launched further proceedings to evict the travellers.

Local councillor John Eagle said: "This is a site that is due for major development, which has had a lot of investment, and the last thing we need is for that to be held up by this."

Travellers at the site said they were not aware of problems with the council.