A youth football team was forced to abandon their training in Inverness when a community of travellers set up home on their pitch.
The encampment has formed on the playing field behind St Valery Avenue in Dalneigh just days after the same group was evicted from a site less than a mile away.
Now Highland Council has started steps to evict the latest unauthorised camp after local residents raised concerns.
It is understood that police put on extra patrols in the area after the group arrived on Tuesday.
But last night there was a call for a serious debate on where more official travellers sites should be created in the Highland capital to avoid the perennial problem of travellers having no official site.
The only dedicated travellers site at the Longman is regularly full and many have set up home there permanently.
Councillor Richard Laird, Inverness Central, said: “The fundamental problem is that we do not have anywhere for them to go.
“This group was offered the Longman site but did not accept it.”
He added: “We have to decide do we want a few sites where they can go or do we want them to pop up everywhere on illegal sites?
“We can’t say we do not want them.”
Mr Laird said that the Clachnacuddin youth team used the pitch for training but could not do so on Tuesday night because of the encampment.
He said that residents were also worried about dogs which were running around on the field.
Mr Laird added: “I do feel for them because they are in a difficult position, but my opinion is that parking on the football pitch is a provocative gesture.”
Other residents spoke of road safety concerns because the travellers were driving across the parkland.
A spokesman for Clach said that coaches were told on Tuesday morning about the camp and decided not to run training that evening.
The travellers declined to speak to the Press and Journal yesterday.
A Highland Council spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the unauthorised encampment at Dalneigh, Inverness. We are liaising with the people who have camped there and our partners in line with our policy on managing unauthorised camping.”
Police in Inverness also said that they are aware of the unauthorised encampment and were working with the council to respond to community concerns.
Inspector James Rice said: “If there is any evidence of criminality being committed then can I reassure the public that we will take a robust stance, working within the existing legislation.”
On Monday a sheriff ordered the community of travellers to leave an unauthorised camp outside the disused B&Q store in Telford Road.
The DIY giant went to court after becoming concerned about damage to the disused store and the dumping of litter and other goods around the building.
The company previously placed large rocks to block entry to the car park after a previous camp was set up in the grounds.
The travellers were earlier moved on from the former Sterling furniture store also in the Carse area.