Travellers have set up an illegal encampment yards from one of Aberdeen’s busiest and most prestigious shopping centres.
About 20 caravans have moved onto the service yard of the old Aberdeen Seafood Park between Palmerston Road and Poynernook Road.
The site is beside the multi-storey car park for the Union Square mall, used by thousands of shoppers and visitors every day, and is at the centre of multimillion-pound plans for a new headquarters for oil firm EnQuest.
Police last night confirmed they had been made aware of the move but said they would be taking no further action until they had been advised who owns the ground.
Local councillors reacted with fury and demanded urgent court action to move the travellers on.
One said they were “thumbing their noses” at the people of Aberdeen by settling in the heart of the city. A variety of caravans, cars and commercial vehicles were parked on the land last night.
Children’s toys lay scattered around the site and items of washing were hanging from fences.
The boundaries of the yard had been secured in sections to barricade the occupants inside, and prevent anyone getting in.
One young man shouted through the barrier that the group had had to tidy the site before moving on to it. He added he had “no idea” how long they intended to stay in the city centre.
Staff and customers visiting the cinema and restaurants at Union Square voiced their dismay at the move.
Workers leaving one shop said the vehicles started arriving on Thursday and had fully occupied the site by Friday afternoon.
A shopper, who asked not to be named, said: “I had to keep my kids off school when they invaded Hazlehead playing fields, that was too far as far as I was concerned.
“Businesses and their customers will be horrified when they arrive to open up today.”
Alison Simpson and Laurie Cameron, from Cove, added: “We had trouble in our area when the police had to evict them from Calder Park.
“People keep giving them work and it just encourages them to stay, and make a horrendous mess.”
Councillor for Torry and Ferryhill Alan Donnelly, said it was “unbelievable” that the group had set up camp so close to the shopping centre.
“Union Square cost £258million to build, and it is a stunning development,” he said. “To have a travellers site right next to it does not send out the right signals for Aberdeen.
“It is disgraceful that they have set up there. The people of Aberdeen cannot put up with this. We need to go through the courts and get them out as quickly as possible.”
Councillor for George Street and Harbour, Andrew May, added: “It is just them thumbing up their noses at people. There is an arrogance and lack of care for the people of Aberdeen which is unbelievable. They just don’t care what others think of them.”