ON a day of countywide police crack downs officers in Evesham visited a notorious Vale traveller site - but this time just to have a chat.

The Evesham police stopped by the traveller site in Cleeve Prior on Thursday morning to speak to the residents.

The visit was sparked by concern surrounding the use of quad bikes on or near the site, but the residents reassured officers they were not riding on land that was out of bounds to them.

It was a slightly different visit to one earlier in the year, which was also attended by an Evesham Journal reporter, when 19 cannabis plants and a growing kit were discovered in a disused toilet block.

The plants discovered in January were said to have a potential yield of £57,000 a year (working on the basis that each plant had a yield of £3,000).

This time round the reception was friendly and Ricky Johnson said they were working with the police.

"The site is supposed to be closing down and there's supposed to be a development going on here, but the answer to that question isn't now," began Mr Johnson, who was jailed in August 2008, alongside other members of his family, for theft for eight years.

"Until there are decisions made we have been trying to work hand in hand with the police force and all the community and trying to turn over a new leaf.

"It's been unfortunate we have had a cannabis plantation found in on of the blocks but apart from that the complaints are getting less rather than growing and we can only apologise to people for the difficult circumstances we found ourselves under."

In regards to the quad biking issue Mr Johnson said they had an agreement with local landowners.

"We are also trying to work hand and glove with some of the landowners who have come to a settlement in themselves allowing us on unused tracks rather than on fields being used."