A WEST Fife councillor wants gypsy travellers who removed barriers to gain access to a site in Dalgety Bay to be charged by the police.

Alice McGarry spoke out after caravans and trucks moved onto land owned by Ingenico, at Ferris Way in Hillend Industrial Estate, on Tuesday.

Fellow SNP councillor Neale Hanvey said travellers also moved onto a site in Dunfermline, near the Elgin Industrial Estate, and allegedly threatened a local resident.

It's the second time in two years that a camp has been set up on Ingenico's land - the company took court action in July 2010 to tackle the issue.

Councillor McGarry, who represents Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay, said, "It's appalling.

"It's bad enough they're going onto land that's not theirs but they've moved huge stones to gain access.

"In my view that's breaking and entering and they should be charged for it.

"I've been told there are 11 caravans and the expectation is there will be more." Ingenico declined to comment but the chair of Dalgety Bay Community Council, Colin McPhail, said, "We are back to square one as they are on the same piece of land that they were on in July 2010.

"It's private land and the company that owns it had to spend a lot of money to remove them two years ago with an interim interdict.

"Ingenico provide services to the banking sector and other institutions and they've said the travellers' presence could put their business in jeopardy." He continued, "The only reason they got in this time was because they used a machine to lift one of the boulders, which were put up as a barrier after last time, out of the way.

"It's a long-standing problem as there are also four caravans in another part of the industrial estate that have been there since February, just off Beech Way.

"It's the lack of control that's frustrating.

"Fife Council send in a liaison officer but all they do is ask if the travellers are happy, if they can get them a water supply and try to make them feel at home!" "As a community we're really feeling downhearted about it happening again.

"There was supposed to be a Fife Council policy and new encampments to deal with this but nothing has been done." John Mills, a senior manager in housing at Fife Council, said, "Fife Council has visited all of the encampments in West Fife. "We are supporting landowners to take appropriate legal action to remove gypsy travellers where they are causing nuisance or it is unsafe for them to occupy the land. "There are also examples of encampments where the gypsy travellers are co-operating with council officers to minimise the impact on the surrounding community.

"Fife Council is promoting the creation of stopover sites to avoid the need for unauthorised encampments.

" There are no active plans at present to seek planning consents for stopovers in West Fife." A spokesperson for Fife police said, "Any report of damage being caused or other alleged criminal acts will be fully investigated by officers of Fife Constabulary to establish the circumstances. "We will continue to work closely with our partners in Fife Council to manage the ongoing situation in Dalgety Bay." A smaller group of travellers moved onto a new access pathway linking Liggars Bridge with Elgin Industrial Estate at the start of the week.

Dunfermline Central SNP councillor Neale Hanvey said, "I got a call on Monday night to go and have a look as travellers had set up an illegal camp, three caravans and a couple of trucks.

"It is causing some concern locally and I've had one report of a local man being threatened by travellers there.

"It's vital that Fife Council take some responsibility and get on with finding suitable sites for travelling people."