ODPM minister Tony McNulty

The government has launched new guidance to councils on managing travellers' camps aimed at minimising disruption to communities and curbing anti-social behaviour.

Housing minister Tony McNulty told a Local Government Association conference on Thursday that the proposals would help strike a balance between the needs of travellers and communities while permanent camps are established.

Lack of adequate site provision for communities and the problems arising from unauthorised camping are seen as issues of increasing concern for local authorities in both rural and urban areas, the LGA said.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's strategy document made clear that travellers have "no rights" to reside on other people's land and urged the police to take tough action against those wilfully breaking the law.

However it reminded councils of their obligation to respect the human rights and basic needs of travelling families such as access to health care, sanitation and education.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Avebury launched on Wednesday a new policy development paper on "Gypsies and other Travellers".

He outlined the party's proposals to reintroduce obligations on local authorities, with central government funding, to provide proper sites for travellers and move the focus away from eviction from unlawful sites.

In July last year the government announced its intention to produce new measures to tackle unauthorised encampments through stronger police enforcement powers linked to improved site provision.

The policy was branded as "racist" by Rachel Morris of the Traveller Law Research Unit at Cardiff Law School.

Morris told ePolitix.com that the government treated travelling people differently from other people with housing needs.

"I don't see any justification for that," she said. "You don't see them sending this kind of message about any other group."