Million-pound homeowners ‘don’t feel safe going outside’ after travellers bulldozed field next door

Large swathes of the field have now been covered in tarmac and gravel, with multiple caravans and mobile homes already in place.

The land, previously used for crop farming, was reportedly bought for upwards of £100,000 before being converted into an unauthorised traveller encampment.

One resident told the Daily Mail: “A number of residents no longer feel safe in their own back gardens.”

They added: “It has really damaged the mental health and anxiety levels of a number of vulnerable people in the very local vicinity.”

Some members of the community have been left particularly shaken, with some no longer willing to venture outdoors.

A second resident told the outlet: “When the travellers first came on the Friday evening, they were putting their hoodies up and some of them had balaclavas on while they were driving the machinery and doing all the work. It was particularly intimidating.”

Another local said: “What has happened is simply harrowing. The travellers deliberately stormed the land. It’s just shock and awe tactics. It’s complete lawlessness.”

The same resident expressed frustration police had classified the matter as civil rather than criminal.

They added the occupiers were deliberately exploiting weaknesses in the planning regime. “They see it as a calculated risk and therefore it is worthwhile doing,” the local said.

Neighbours also reported the narrow and windy country roads being clogged up by heavy machinery, with vehicles coming and going through the night.

Up to a dozen septic tanks and unlicensed vehicles were spotted, while raucous children on noisy bikes and loud generators pierced through the typically desolate countryside surroundings.

One homeowner voiced concern about the impact on property values. “We are worried about being able to sell our homes,” they said. “You would just have to put your plans on hold.”

Hart District Council has obtained an injunction against the development, warning anyone who continues carrying out work on the site risks being held in contempt of court, which is a sanction that could result in fines or imprisonment.

Despite the legal order, occupants are understood to still be living in the caravans stationed on the land.

The incident at South Warnborough fits a wider pattern in which travellers acquire greenbelt land, frequently in affluent parts of the Home Counties, before establishing unauthorised sites and then applying for planning permission retrospectively.

In several cases, such encampments have ultimately won approval on appeal.

Elsewhere, Birmingham City Council tried to combat travellers illegally settling by building World War One-style trenches, only to be told by increasingly frustrated residents it will not prevent travellers from pitching up near their homes.

Muswell Hill, a leafy north London suburb, has also been affected.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary said: “We are aware of development work that has been carried out on private land in South Warnborough, over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

“Our officers are in contact with Hart District Council who are the local authority responsible for this civil law matter.

“At this stage in the legal process, there are no enforcement powers available to the police relating to the current use or development of this land.

“We have been carrying out additional patrols of the area, and we will continue to support local residents and Hart District Council as this matter progresses.

“Officers have not received any reports of criminal offences. If you have been a victim of crime, please report it to us directly.”

Hart District Council refused to comment on an ongoing legal case.

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