OWNERS of a former Airtours site in Helmshore used as a travellers camp for three weeks were today counting the cost after the unwanted guests finally left.

The site owners were forced to obtain a court order to get a bailiff to issue the travellers with 24 hours notice to leave the land on Monday.

Landowners claim the travellers have caused more than £200,000 of damage to one of the buildings and that a massive clearing-up operation is needed.

The developers were accused of enticing the travellers on to the site in a bid to encourage planners to rush through their scheme.

But Manchester Land and Building, which owns it, has rejected the allegations and said it would cost a fortune to clear up the site Holcombe Road site.

Bellway Homes Ltd, a Manchester-based firm, plans to build 89 apartments, detached, semi-detached and terrace houses, as well as 10 office units on the site. Airtours moved around 1,000 of its workers from the Helmshore headquarters to Rochdale more than three years ago.

A spokesman for Manchester Land and Buildings said: "We are delighted to announce that our efforts to remove the travellers from the former Airtours site at Helmshore have been successful.

"Last week we obtained a court order giving us a formal 'warrant of possession' of the site that set in chain a series of events which led to the departure of our unwanted guests.

"The company would like to thank the Community Beat Manager for Helmshore, PC Chris Kett, for his efforts in helping to keep residents informed of our progress over the course of the past few weeks. We would also like to thank the residents, who have endured so much over the last few weeks. They even helped secure the site when the travellers departed.

"Our efforts weren't helped by the protracted legal process involved in trying to obtain a warrant."

A team of people has visited the site to secure the area and will start the clean-up operation once the extent of the damage has been assessed.

The spokesman added: "Initial estimates put the figure for the damage to the building alone at something over £200,000 and the clean-up bill will obviously run into thousands.

"We are hoping to start the clean-up operation on Friday and it will carry on through next week."