Camper vans ‘destroying the jewel of Bristol'
Camper van dwellers have been accused of destroying a beauty spot celebrated as the jewel of Bristol.
Residents living in Clifton and Redland are calling for action to protect Clifton Downs against the ''unacceptable proliferation'' of van dwellers.
Members of the Protect the Downs group held a protest walk on Thursday in an effort to 'help us preserve this beautiful space' as tensions with the van community grow.
Bristol is home to an increasing number of people living in roadside vehicles, with Clifton Downs home to the majority.
Tony Nelson, who founded the Protect the Downs group, said: ''We want to show the council that the increasing levels of damage that are being done to the downs are unacceptable, and it's not just damage, it's levels of danger and levels of fear that we're experiencing.
Mr Nelson said: 'People think they're not having any impact. They really are. They believe it's common land. It's not. They have no right to reside or camp on the Downs.
'I'm a part owner of the Downs because it was gifted to the people of Bristol. And I've got no right to camp there, because I would damage it. And when you magnify people staying overnight by 150 vans, that's a big environmental impact.
'We have waste discharges into the curbside. We have loads of human excrement, colossal numbers of human excrement.
'There are real homeless people up there, but they are masked by so many people from out of town who have chosen to live there as a lifestyle choice.'
Tensions have flared up between the two sides, with Mr Nelson and a BBC camera person being attacked by a van dweller who accused Mr Nelson of spreading 'hate and violence' before pushing him.
Bristol city council said it was choosing not to move people on as this would simply result in 'moving people from one part of the city to the other'.
The protest group had posted: ''Show up for the Bristol Downs and your fellow Bristolians and help us preserve this beautiful space for generations to come.
'This historic parkland is being destroyed by an unacceptable proliferation of vans, vehicles and caravan dwellings.'
They added: ''Once the jewel of Bristol. This land is being usurped by individuals taking public parkland for themselves. A council too inept to uphold basic law and order. The fight is just beginning.'
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