RUGBY club officials found a dead dog dumped in a hedge after an illegal gipsy camp moved on from their ground.

About 20 caravans containing a total of between 80 and 100 people, arrived at Northallerton Rugby Club on Tuesday.

They stayed until Thursday night and left behind large quantities of rubbish, human and animal excrement and burnt patches in the grass.

The body of the dog was also found in a hedgerow by the site.

Hambleton District Council was powerless to act as the pitch on Brompton Road is on land privately owned by the club, but sent environmental health officials down on Friday to help with the clean-up.

Club chairman Ken Burdass said they feared the damage could have been much worse.

"Fortunately, our playing season has finished, but the club holds events and functions and the last thing you want is all sorts of detritus left stood around the field," he said.

"It could have been a lot worse - we thought there could have been damage to the club, but fortunately there wasn't.

"They did tell us they were going to be going by Thursday and they kept to their word. The local police came down quite regularly to keep an eye on things and obviously didn't want them here.

"We had been in the process of obtaining an injunction to move them when they left. That would have cost a lot of money for the club."

One resident of Brompton, who lives close to the pitch but asked not be named, said: "The camp has had vehicles coming and going the best part of the night and nearly all the families have at some point defecated in the rugby grounds or neighbouring properties.

"On Thursday morning they decided to burn a quantity of their rubbish against the side of my property next to an air brick and I was very fortunate not to come home from work to find my house burnt down."

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Local officers liaised closely with Northallerton Rugby Club officials throughout the three days, and on-site meetings with the travellers were instigated and carried out by the police.

"The site was also regularly monitored and patrolled by officers."