Police could be brought in to evict an illegal gathering of 150 people on Dartmoor

WATCH: ITV West Country's Bob Cruwys visits the camp on Dartmoor

More than 100 people who have been illegally camping on Dartmoor for more than two weeks could be evicted by police officers.

The group, made up of around 150 people, are known as the Rainbow Family of Living Light.

Members say they will stay at their camp in Holne Woods until the next new moon.

A Dartmoor National Park spokesperson said there has never been an illegal gathering of the same scale on the land and the group "will not be allowed to stay".

Kevin Bishop, Chief Executive for Dartmoor National Park Authority, confirmed that a court order has been granted and the land will be repossessed if members refuse to move on.

The camp will not be allowed to stay, according to Dartmoor National Park Authority. Credit: ITV West Country

Visitors to the National Park may have noticed road closures and police cars in the area - a sight not very familiar on Dartmoor.

With the support of Devon County Council and the police, these measures were put in place to "mitigate the impact" of the camp and stop more people gathering.

The road closure was removed on Wednesday 8 July, but Mr Bishop said rangers will not hesitate to put it back if more people arrive at the camp.

He said they have been "politely" asked to move on several times and rangers have suggested ways they can stay there without having as much of an impact, such as not using open fires.

The Rainbow Family of Living Light is a relatively unknown group, but was founded in America in the 1970s.

There are no officially recognised leaders, but unofficial members gather to coincide with the lunar cycle and to mark the full moon.

One member said everyone is welcome in the group. Credit: ITV West Country

The location chosen by the group is ancient woodland protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, making camping there illegal.

Dartmoor National Park Authority said it hopes to disperse the group using "negotiation", but said it will resort to other measures if necessary.