Some of the travellers remain in a car park in Christchurch

Local residents were angry at a judge's decision to allow the 11 vans to remain at the centre after they claimed one of their number had recently given birth.

Investigations at the site and hospital failed to find the mother or her baby.

The group were finally moved on from Christchurch's Two Riversmeet centre, in Dorset, after a court order was served on Wednesday.

'Immediate eviction'

Last month a district judge allowed the group to stay on until 1 September for "humanitarian reasons" after a travellers' representative said 18-year-old Eleanor Berry had given birth.

A council spokesman told BBC News Online: "We contacted Poole Hospital, and made several inquiries at the site and she wasn't there.

"Then her caravan left some time ago - before the other travellers left."

Council officers estimate the cost of the clean-up and security operation at the site at �13,000.

Thirty travellers moved onto the PC World car park in Christchurch, where police served them with immediate eviction notices.

Police removed nine caravans from the area and arrested one woman for obstruction, who was later released without charge.