OUTRAGED residents have hit out after £14,000 of taxpayers' money was used to meet the cost of clearing a field blighted by travellers.

The owner of the site at the Pyebush roundabout entrance to Beaconsfield could not be traced - leaving South Bucks District Council to pay the price of the clean-up operation, which was completed earlier this month.

Beaconsfield resident Betty Shafe, who lives in Fernhurst Close, said she was appalled that taxpayers have had to pay for the travellers' mess.

She said: "I think the owner should pay for it to be cleared up.

"It should not be left up to the council and taxpayers to foot the bill."

The field was invaded by travellers last summer and they left abandoned cars and rubbish in their wake.

The site later became a dumping ground for people who left more cars and household debris on the field.

Frank Armstrong, chairman of the Beaconsfield Old Town Residents Association, said the mess should have been dealt with by the person who owns the field.

He added: "The council should be able to make a compulsory purchase order on the field and then sell the thing."

Mr Armstrong said: "I'm pleased it has been done. It has looked an eyesore for people coming into the town for too long."

A spokesman for South Bucks District Council said the council had sent out enforcement notices but had been unable to find the owner of the field

He said: "We had to take it on ourselves to clear the site up."

He said if the owner comes to sell the property the identity will become known and the council can then recoup the cash.

He said: "Because of public outcry, we had to clear it up ourselves."

Deputy Mayor of Beaconsfield, town councillor Graham Smith, (Con, North Ward) said that efforts to find the owner of the site over the last 12 months had proved fruitless.

He said: "We had no alternative but to clear the site."