CARAVAN owners have hit back after they were left trapped inside a tiny beachside car park when a landowner took drastic action.
Malcolm Thorpe, owner of Bembridge Harbour Authority, suddenly dropped 30 4ft-high concrete bollards at the entrance of the car park in Bembridge, on the Isle of Wight.
Now those left stuck inside have slammed the farmer, stating they’ll refuse to pay £500 for a crane to remove the blocks.
Malcolm placed the bollards after he claimed that the group were destroying the area.
In response, traveller Pippa Amos, 24, said: “You can’t just entrap people. We can walk out but these vans are our homes, our lives.”
The bollards completely block access to the car park and while Thorpe has said he would remove them for free, that would only be on the condition that all travellers leave together the same day.
He claims some of the caravanner group were “excreting on the land” and throwing their litter on the roadside.
Malcolm added: “There were a lot of things that were happening that meant we said, ‘Sorry, we can’t approve this’.
“If they came as a group and said they were all wanting to leave, I would do it free of charge.
“‘But if they wanted to leave individually, they would have to pay for a crane to come and move the bollards away, it’s the only way they’re going to move them now.”
While he provided no price for the crane operation, some members of the group have suggested it could be as costly as £500.
The tense stand-off is now into its second month and the group of van owners have still refused to pay to leave.
Dale Coulson, 70, one of those trapped, said he has no plans to leave.
He said that the group is “stuck here now” but they feel like they are “fighting a cause for everybody”.
Many of the travellers have said that paying to leave is unthinkable.
Kimberly Campbell, 27, said she doesn’t have the money to pay to remove the bollards and that she isn’t sure what her next steps will be.
Locals living nearby were frustrated by those staying overnight in the car park – but they’re more enraged by the build up of cars parking in town now.
Ian Woodward, 59, a Bembridge resident for 20 years, said he witnessed 15 cars pulling up trying to get into the car park in the space of an hour and a half.
He claims they all had to back out, straight on to the road which is “illegal”.
Despite this, Malcolm is confident that trapping the travellers with the bollards will make them eventually leave.
The dispute began in April when the occupants of the car park were first asked to move their vans to one half of the site, as the other is designated a village green.
The bollards were then put in place to separate the two sides.
On July 24, they were given letters saying that the whole car park was being blocked off and that any remaining vehicles would be charged a ‘removal fee’.
After this final deadline passed, the set of bollards was completed and the vehicles were left trapped.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Constabulary have said the issue is a civil matter.
Isle of Wight council said that because the dispute is on private land, it has no jurisdiction.
A council spokesperson said: “The council provides advice and assistance to anyone who finds themselves homeless, or who are threatened with homelessness within 56 days.”
IF you are looking to live in a van to save money or travel, you'll be pleased to know that there are no UK laws stopping you.
However, you must ensure your vehicle has passed its MOT and is fully road legal.
There could also be restrictions on where you can park up to sleep in your van.
For example, local authorities place restrictions on certain streets or lay-bys, and you could be fined if you spend the night there.
It could also be unsafe to stop in certain locations, particularly at night-time.
Check the The Highway Code guide for guidance.
