The group of Travellers who arrived at Kew Green last Thursday have decided to move on, the council has said.

Richmond Council launched the legal process to move the group last week and the High Court gave it powers to evict them.

The travellers voluntarily left the site yesterday evening.

No damage was done to the site and the council collected some bags of rubbish this morning.

Cllr Julia Neden-Watts, Chair of the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee, said: "Thanks to our prompt action last week we were able to get a court hearing as soon as possible after the Bank Holiday, which has resulted in a Possession Order and the Traveller group voluntarily leaving the site before we were required to evict them.

"In this instance we did not have the same power we have had in recent years, following a High Court order earlier this month which denied the Council's request to extend the previous expedited injunction process.

"We moved as quickly as legally possible to ensure that the travellers could be moved on from Kew Green and we hope that this swift action deters this group from returning and others from coming to the borough.

"I would like to thank Police, our Parkguard officers and our cleansing team who have been on site since Thursday to monitor the site and clear any waste left in the area."

Although the Travellers have now left, the Council will still serve the Order of Possession today, which is valid for three months.

Traveller's rights campaigners say that simply moving families along is not a long-term solution.

Earlier this month a new High Court order made it more difficult for councils to quickly evict Traveller families, a development that London charity London Gypsies and Travellers hailed a "victory for equality".

The charity said: "We urge councils to seek alternatives to automatically evicting Traveller families in this way, such as Negotiated Stopping (non-confrontational, negotiated responses to Gypsy and Traveller roadside camps).

"Simply moving families out of the area is not a solution.

"The fundamental problem is the lack of authorised sites and legal stopping places for Gypsies and Travellers.

"A London-wide Accommodation Needs Assessment in 2008 identified a need for over 800 pitches (family unit) for Gypsy and Traveller families, but since then less than 10 pitches have been actually delivered across London Boroughs, so there is a huge unmet need.

"Councils also have a duty under the Equality Act to have regard to the needs of the Gypsy and Traveller community."

The High Court order earlier this month denied the council's request to extend the previous expedited injunction process, in common with numerous other local authorities, meaning Richmond Council now has to go via the courts to evict Travellers.

London Gypsies and Travellers said of the ruling: "Wide injunctions against "persons unknown" have been used by local authorities for the past six years to prevent Gypsies and Travellers from stopping on public land, despite councils not making any adequate provision of sites and stopping places.

"This landmark ruling, in the case of London Borough or Barking and Dagenham and Others v Persons Unknown, marks the end of wide injunctions against "persons unknown".

"The judgment builds on a previous ruling on the Bromley legal challenge, which found in January last year that borough-wide injunctions are "inherently problematic" and they "comprise a potential breach of both the [European] Convention [on Human Rights] and the Equality Act"."

The council said it will continue to liaise with the group and monitor the site along with Park Guard and the police.

It also said it will repair any damage and remove any waste left on the Green when the Travellers leave.

Councillor Julia Neden-Watts, Chair of the Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee, said: "A small group of Travellers has arrived in Kew.

"This morning (Friday), Council officers will commence the legal action required to expedite their departure.

"Due to a recent court ruling, this process will not be as fast as residents would like and I know that they will be concerned, but we have to work within the law.

"As soon as the Travellers leave, we will inspect the area and ensure that any damage is repaired, and waste removed. Our Park Guard officers, along with the Police, will be monitoring the site closely until the group depart."