A “MASSIVE” fundraiser for disabled children had to be cancelled over safety fears after travellers moved onto the site.

Play and Resource Centre (Parc) Essex was due to host its annual fun day on Sunday at Great Notley Country Park, located next to its premises.

After travellers moved in last Thursday, the charity made the difficult decision to call off the event on Friday morning.

Amanda Richardson, events manager for Parc, said: “The problem we had was that last year there was a group that moved onto the same site.

“The police had to be called because they reportedly had air rifles and were shooting them at the general public. Our children are quite vulnerable and we had to take into account what happened last year – though this group did not do anything, we could not take the risk. It was a huge wrench for all the staff to call it off.”

Parc relies entirely on donations and fundraising events like the fun day which last year raised over £2,500. It was also important to the staff as it is also a chance to raise awareness of what the centre does. Amanda said: “The fun day is massive for us, it is the one day of the year that is all about the children.

“Lots of our children cannot go to theme parks and things like that, and this is the one day of the year that they get to do things normal children do.

“We put all our resources into a few major fundraising events like this.”

The travellers left the site on Monday.

Amanda said: “We had been planning the fun day since December and in the space of less than an hour they moved off the site.

“The disappointment for us is the children.

“Lots of people say we are like a family at Parc and it really is – we all feel it.”

The charity, which provides play and recreational facilities for children with additional needs, has a vintage fair on September 11 at Braintree Golf Club.

Visit www.thegreatbritishvintagefair.co.uk or www.parc-essex.co.uk.