Latest news with #TonyNelson
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Fury as 'caravan dwellers' living on beloved green spaces wreck popular beauty spot - as hundreds of homeowners march in protest
Hundreds of homeowners have staged a march to protest over the colossal number of people living rough in vehicles on their beloved green spaces. As many as 300 residents of Clifton and Redland – affluent areas of Bristol – marched on Thursday in a bid to force town hall bosses to take action. More than 100 people – said to be a mix of travellers and those choosing to live in vans, cars and caravans – are parked on the Downs, where neighbouring homes sell for an average of £600,000. Many claim they are forced into the lifestyle by unaffordable rents and tend to stay far longer than travellers who usually camp for just a few days then move on. Protesters from the 'Protect the Downs' group claim their public green space is being ruined by the vehicle-dwellers, who they say 'blame house prices'. As tensions have grown between campers and locals, a caravan was reportedly set on fire and one van dweller allegedly attacked a BBC crew covering the demonstration. Protest group founder Tony Nelson said: 'We want to show the council that the increasing levels of damage being done to the Downs is unacceptable, and it's not just damage, it's levels of danger and levels of fear that we're experiencing. 'We have waste discharges into the kerbside. We have loads of human excrement. There are real homeless people up there, but they're masked by so many from out of town who have chosen to live there as a lifestyle choice.' Bristol City Council lawyers are now preparing a new 'possession order' that will force the encampment pitching up on the grass to move on. The authority's longer-term plan was said to be creating up to 250 dedicated spaces for people living in vehicles on land due to be developed. But, accusing the council of being 'too inept to uphold basic law and order', the protest group wrote online: 'This historic parkland is being destroyed by an unacceptable proliferation of vans, vehicles and caravan dwellings. Tens of thousands of hard-working citizens of Bristol no longer feel safe enjoying this vast open parkland.' The council told the BBC that it had not yet moved people on as it would just be shifting them 'from one part of the city to the other'.
Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Telegraph
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.'
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment furious Bristol van dweller attacks BBC camera crew as tensions flare with locals who are demanding encampment of 100 vehicles is removed
A Bristol van dweller attacked a BBC camera crew in a fit of rage as tensions flare up in Bristol who are demanding an encampment of some 100 vehicles is removed. The man aggressively approached a reporter who was interviewing a local resident and began shouting, before taking a swing at the camera and 'striking' it. For months locals in the Downs area of Bristol have been complaining about dozens of caravans parked up on public roads in which people are living and have accused the council of not taking action fast enough. There had already been a series of incidents, some violent, including a caravan being set on fire, smashed windows and objects thrown. But tensions escalated even further on Thursday ahead of a planned protest by residents which saw 300 people turn up. While BBC reporter Hannah Miller was interviewing Tony Nelson, the founder of Protect the Downs, a group whose aim is to have the caravans and vans removed, a man approached and appeared to square up to the interviewee. Approaching the group from across the street, a man was heard shouting: 'I want a word with you actually. I thought it was you.' He added: 'You're part of the Downs Committee thing, aren't you? Protect the Downs.' Mr Nelson replied: 'Yeah, and we tend to just talk, not shout.' The man then walked into shot and straight up to Mr Nelson, shouting: 'No we don't, not anymore. 'The amount of hate and violence your group is causing up here.' Mr Nelson said: 'Did you come here to just shout at me?' The man replied: 'Yes, I did.' While the reporter stands by, appearing somewhat bemused, Mr Nelson said: 'So do you want me to just shout back?' The exchange continues with Mr Nelson asking the man if they could 'talk like adults', and being told: 'You're past that, mate. Well past that.' After not getting the reaction he was looking for, the man then suddenly turns and grabs the reporter's microphone, saying: 'Get that out my face.' There is then a scuffle partially recorded as the man appears to attack the cameraman. The man is also alleged to have pushed Mr Nelson. It comes after a long-running feud between van dwellers themselves, as well as with local people. In February, one van was destroyed in a fire which is believed to have been arson. One member of the caravan community described how he heard rustling and when he looked outside his window he saw the caravan on fire. He said: 'There were flames from the caravan and the fire went on for a good 15 minutes. I knew nobody was inside but there were gas bottles which went, 'Bang, bang''. Bristol, deemed the most expensive place to rent outside London, has seen a rapid rise in the number of vehicle dwellers since 2020. The council estimates there are up to 680 vehicles being lived in across Bristol at locations including land next to the M32, Fishponds and The Downs. Around 107 people are thought to be living on the Downs, making it the largest encampment in the city. Residents in Bristol who face the influx of van dwellers have previously told about suspected thefts, drug use and intimidation. Vehicle dwellers have acknowledged there is a mixed group of people - ranging from professionals and academics to those with substance abuse - and that not everyone treats the area with respect. Bristol City Council says it has received in excess of 1,500 complaints and reports relating to encampments, relating to littering, looking unsightly, blocked pavements, feeling threatened and anti-social behaviour. But it has found some reports include hate speech and 'othering', said to contribute to prejudice against vehicle dwelling communities. After the incident with the van resident, Mr Nelson told the BBC: 'People really feel very strongly about the council's inaction, their permissiveness, their saying 'it's OK to come and trash our parks'. 'People are fed up with that. I don't know if it's council incompetence or whatever.' A petition calling for the encampment to be removed has received more than 7,500 signatures. Photos from yesterday's protest showed hundreds of people amassing on the Downs from all age groups. Organisers told attendees in advance: 'Show up for the Bristol Downs and your fellow Bristolians and help us preserve this beautiful space for generations to come. Share the event far and wide. There are many thousands of Bristolians who don't know how they can help. This is how. Spread the message. The tide is turning. 'This historic parkland is being destroyed by an unacceptable proliferation of vans, vehicles and caravan dwellings. Tens of thousands hard hard-working citizens of Bristol no longer feel safe enjoying this vast open parkland. '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.' Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, released a lengthy statement on Thursday, in which he acknowledged the 'complex situation' facing the city. He said: 'Our latest estimates are that there's between 640 to 680 lived-in vehicles and caravans on the kerbside, on private and council sites, with some squatting on land in parts of the city. 'This figure doesn't include the number of transient Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups who visit the city throughout the year – and this is a group of people who we can expect to see more of during the next few months as we're now into the summer season. 'While people living in vehicles and caravans are spread across our city, we recognise that the size and concentration of the group bordering The Downs is larger than all other encampments.'
BBC News
12-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bristol van-dweller attacks protester as tensions flare
A campaigner has been "attacked" as tensions continue to escalate with a van-dwelling community. During filming on Tuesday, a BBC camera was struck by a van-dweller as Tony Nelson, who founded a group calling for the vehicles to be removed, was interviewed. Mr Nelson had attempted to speak to a man living in a van at Durdham Down in Bristol, where around 107 vehicles are parked, believed to be one of the largest van-dwelling sites in the man accused Mr Nelson of spreading "hate and violence" against van-dwellers, and said the two groups were "well past talking to each other" before reportedly pushing him. Faced with soaring rental prices, another van-dweller told BBC News he had no choice but to live in his vehicle and said they were not harming some residents say they are now too scared to go out at night and have complained about increased has been living in a van on the Downs for nine a house share with friends ended, he said he did not have enough money to put down a deposit on a rental flat and was "lucky" to find the when residents in the area formed a group calling for van-dwellers to be removed from the area, Callum said it had "an emotional effect"."As much as I kind of see their side, it's a lot of weight on us. "People are tooting their horns, revving their engines. If this was your home, would you want someone to come and disturb your sleep and your life in that way?"It would be nice if they just left us alone, if we're not doing any direct harm to anyone up here, I don't see why we shouldn't be allowed to stay," he rent-free had allowed Callum to drop down his hours working in hospitality and retrain as a joiner, he now he has a new job, he said he and his partner were looking for a is one of 107 vehicle dwellers who Bristol City Council estimates live on the Downs. Mr Nelson, who founded the Facebook group Protect the Downs, believes living in a van had become a "lifestyle choice".His group, which has nearly 2,000 members, has called for the council to use its powers to remove vans and those living in them. Mr Nelson said: "People really feel very strongly about the council's inaction, their permissiveness, their saying 'it's OK to come and trash our parks'. "People are fed up with that. I don't know if it's council incompetence or whatever."He wants the council to help those who need it, and move others on. Bristol City Council (BCC) 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"."Every inch of this city is important and special to somebody", said councillor Barry Parsons, who chairs the Homes and Housing Delivery council has previously shut down other encampments - once they were deemed to have had too great an impact on the News was told the current impact on the Downs was assessed to be at a "medium" level, which meant it did not meet the threshold for intervention. Nevertheless, Mr Parsons said it was "unfair" to claim the council had done nothing, as it had developed a new policy that will be in place "by the end of the year"."I can understand why people are feeling anxious and frustrated. "We're trying to do something really new, that hasn't been tried before, here or anywhere else in the country", he are proposals to provide kerbside "service sites", where people living in vans could dispose of waste and get access to water, as well as plans to open more "meanwhile sites", where people can live in their vans and be provided with basic council currently has around 60 such pitches, with a new site due to open soon. But there is already a waiting list for several councillors raised concerns about the pace at which change seemed to be happening, acknowledging people needed to see improvements up on the Downs, among people living in vans, and those living beside them, patience is wearing thin.
The Sun
31-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
War erupts in UK's ‘caravan city' as van-dwellers torch rival homes & turn hippy paradise into rat-plagued ‘no-go zone'
RESIDENTS who live near the UK's biggest 'caravan city' say the once serene grassland has become a no-go area overrun by warring drug dealers, council-tax dodgers, human waste and rats. 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. 14 14 14 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 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 14 14 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. 14 14 '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. 14 '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' 14 14 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' 14 14 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' 14 14 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.'
