A group of travellers with about four caravans set up a camp at The Tilt as the council reviewed its own security measures.

The Tilt is one of Cobham's four conservation areas.

David Tipping, who lives near to the site and is vice-chairman of the Cobham Conservation and Heritage Trust, said a notice was put up on a tree giving the group 24 hours to vacate.

He said: "There's no major problem with litter and no major problem with noise, it just doesn't fit in with the Tilt scene."

Mr Tipping said he had spoken with a neighbour who lived there all his life and could not remember seeing a group on the green before.

The site has precious cherry trees, planted by the Cobham Women's Institute just after World War II which have plaques enscribed with names of those who died on the trunks.

Matt Hawksby, of the Running Mare pub, which overlooks the green, said: "We can literally look out the window and see them. There's only about four caravans."

He said the area looked clear, with no litter problems. He said: "Everything seems to be alright - they've got a bin."

The houses which surround The Tilt are in the region of £1m and above.

Ideas on how to improve security on sites throughout the borough include ditching and banking, wooden and metal posts and tree planting.

The council said a gypsy/traveller liaison officer had visited the unauthorised Stoke Road site on Monday, July 20, to carry out an assessment.

Within the last few months, unauthorised sites have sprung up all over the borough before the groups move on. The number of new sites has increased rapidly.

In April a group was in Churchfields Car Park, Weybridge, and May saw groups set up at Hersham Road and Weston Green.

The camps for the past two summers have mainly been in the north east corner of the borough, possibly to do with the good transport links and availability of work nearby in Kingston, Surbiton and Staines.