War erupts in UK's ‘caravan city' as van-dwellers torch rival homes & turn hippy paradise into rat-plagued ‘no-go zone'
Bristol has the highest number of van dwellers, believed to be a population of 680-700, and the majority are parked on the roads weaving around Durdle Down, known as The Downs.
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The sheer number of vans and the problems they allegedly bring has resulted in fury from residents and visitors, who are now locked in a battle to reclaim their once-tranquil 442 acres of common land.
One claims it's reached a "crisis" point, with 'slum-letting' rife, drug-dealing and arson attacks on vans turning it into a "no-go zone".
In February police and the fire service were called to the Clifton Downs where a caravan was in flames.
Engineer Tony Nelson, 52, is a local resident who launched a petition on Change.org, which has almost 6,500 signatures from 44 different countries.
Supporters, calling themselves the Protect the Downs group, aim to force the council to clamp down on the five-hour parking restrictions, effectively pushing van dwellers out.
Tony told The Sun: 'We feel it's a shame that such a rare and precious space is allowed to fall into massive disrepair.
'There have been van dwellers living here for a couple of decades, and we're quite proud of the fact that people have passed through and visited and stayed a couple of nights.
'But the council stopped enforcement a few years ago, and people have gone, 'That's a nice green space, I fancy living there' and 'I don't fancy paying rent anymore', or, 'I'm struggling to pay rent, so actually, I'm going to check out, and I won't pay council tax, and I'm going to go live in a van.'
'That has just proliferated and grown, and everyone's jumped on that bandwagon. What's gone from a couple of responsible van dwellers has ballooned into what I can only describe as a crisis.'
The Downs, with its tree-lined streets and a view over the Avon Gorge, is used for educational visits, with Sir David Attenborough once calling it the 'jewel in the city's crown'.
We live in 'Caravan City' - locals moan but it's too expensive to rent
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But now there's an underbelly of crime and filth, according to locals, who pay around £4,000 a year in council tax.
Tony said: 'It's too scary, because there are people who don't want to be found by the police. We know there's drug dealing that goes on, there's fighting between people who do that.
'They burn each other's caravans down. They've said things like, 'We've got axes and baseball bats.' It's a frightening place.
'It's not a them and us situation, and a lot of people would be offended if they felt that they were being tarred with that brush, but we can't say that it's safe.
They burn each other's caravans down. They've said things like, 'We've got axes and baseball bats.' It's a frightening place
Tony Nelson, local resident
'There are elderly and single females who really don't want to use the Downs, especially at nighttime, because it's quite a scary place.
'You can't let your kids play in the bushes because it's full of human
waste.
"There are rats because of abandoned caravans and piles of rubbish.
'Children don't want to walk to school this way anymore, it's a long way round for them now, and it pushes around onto more dangerous roads.
"This should be a nice, simple, safe cut through, but it's scary for them.
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'It's not just about the people around the downs. There are 30,000 people in the parishes that surround the downs. Most of those people don't have gardens. They live in flats.
'People want to come and use this space, and they're being denied that privilege because people think it's okay to come and check out of society, live here and not pay the council tax.
'Imagine if I quite fancied living in Kensington, what would happen if I just rocked up there in a caravan?"
Locals also suspect 'slum-letting' is taking place, reporting a high-end silver Range Rover dropping caravans off to house outsiders in.
On the sunny day The Sun visited, a Range Rover was parked between two empty caravans covered in tree seeds, suggesting it hadn't been driven in a while.
Meanwhile travellers camped on the grass for a month until a week ago, churning up the land on their quad bikes and reportedly abusing residents who tackled them.
A recent fire brought emergency services racing to The Downs when a barbecue lit by a group of students set fire to the crisp dry grass.
But the permanence of the caravans is what concerns residents in one of the most affluent areas of the city.
Passing through The Downs on a 10,500-kilometre cycle trip across Europe, retired headteacher Mark Ingram, 65, from Leicester, was shocked to see the number now lining the streets.
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'I've come through Portugal, France and Spain. I've seen this in the news briefly but it's a stunning sight. I've not seen anything like this. I've been astounded.
'I feel for the residents and for the people living in these conditions, being hated by the people who live here. It's not good.
'We should look to Europe to see how to solve this housing crisis.'
Some of the vans and make-shift caravans house professionals, including a maths tutor and IT expert, working from their converted vans, lorries or horseboxes.
But many are vulnerable, suffering from mental health issues, homelessness and drug addiction.
'Slum letting'
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Michael Freeman says he lived in his caravan in Warminster until he was evicted from the land it was on by the owner, who then towed him to The Downs and left him there.
'He told me I was going to live on a proper site, and dumped me here five weeks ago. I have no heating, no water and have to walk to town to find food," he explained.
'Being left here badly affected my mental health and to be honest, if it wasn't for my dog Bobby, I wouldn't still be here.
'I can understand why the locals don't like it - I don't even want to be here, I want to be housed.
Being left here badly affected my mental health and to be honest, if it wasn't for my dog Bobby, I wouldn't still be here
Michael Freeman, van dweller
'I am with the homeless shelter St Mungo's, so I can shower there, but it's not a great situation to be in.'
But other van-lifers and residents think the Protect the Downs group is fuelling hatred.
An anonymous van dweller said: 'Most of us keep ourselves to ourselves and keep the area tidy, put rubbish in bins and don't cause any issues, but we're all being tarred with the same brush.
'Groups like [Protect the Downs] fuel discrimination.
'I don't work because I'm neurodivergent, and a lot of the other people living here probably have some mental health issues.
'We're not stopping people visiting The Downs, and where else would we go?
'There are proper sites for van-dwellers, called Meanwhile sites, but they're pretty dangerous places and nobody would want to live there.'
'Ignorant'
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A local resident and member of the Protect The Downs Facebook group, who asked not to be named, said: 'The group poses as one that is fair and is only concerned with making the Downs a better place for all.
"However the message so many of the members spread is one of hatred and discrimination towards those whose lives they don't understand, lives they won't even try to engage with.
'Just the other day Frankie Turton posted about a litter pick up the van dwellers do once a week asking if people would like to join.
'You would have thought those so keen to complain about the problems would be the first to join the pick-up, not one of them has volunteered.
'It would have been an ideal opportunity for everyone to get a better understanding of each other's points of view, but that isn't what the group really wants.
'The group wants to remain ignorant to the struggles of others and to a different way of life.'
'Robust action'
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The group is currently seeking quotes from barristers as it intends to take the council to court if it does not enforce the parking restrictions.
Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Committee, said: 'We understand that the current situation is not sustainable, and the council is taking a proactive stance on addressing issues.
'We know that we need to reduce the need for so many people to live in vehicles, and remain committed to increasing the number of well-built, affordable homes in Bristol so that people have a safe and secure place they can call home.
'People living in vehicles can experience poor health and other vulnerabilities, and our focus must be on finding sustainable solutions and support options.
"However, if an encampment, or individuals within an encampment, start to have a negative impact on the area in which they live, we need to make sure we have a robust and clear policy for when we will take action.'
An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: 'We're aware of public concerns relating to antisocial behaviour in certain parts of The Downs.
'We have frequent contact with partners, including Bristol City Council, and will continue to work with them over the summer months to tackle the issues raised with us.
'The Downs is an area of high footfall so our officers carry out regular high-visibility patrols there to help reduce antisocial behaviour, provide the public with reassurance and to act where any criminal offences may be seen.
'Anecdotal information around issues is useful to help shape our plans for dealing with issues in any area.
'However we'd continue to urge members of the public to report crimes to us, ideally while they are taking place, because that way we can take robust action and secure the evidence necessary to achieve a criminal conviction where the offence must be proven beyond all reasonable doubt.'
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