Earl wins £100k court battle with traveller site owner

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 10:33 · Archive

An 83-year-old earl has won a High Court fight against a traveller site owner who threatened to invade his Wiltshire woodland.

Kenneth Mackay, the 83-year-old fourth Lord Inchcape, has won a £100,000 High Court battle against traveller site owner Leeroy Johnstone over disputed woodland near the earl's home at Manor Farm in Clyffe Pypard, Wiltshire.

Johnstone laid claim to part of the wood and began fencing it off. During a confrontation with the earl's security guards in July, he allegedly threatened to bring '50 people and 15 dogs to the woodland...to fight them'. Johnstone claimed he had bought the land 'from a farmer'. The earl's barrister Joseph Meethan told Mr Justice Marcus Smith that there was concern Johnstone was attempting to develop the woodland, which could place Lord Inchcape at risk of breaching planning controls.

To protect his property, the earl hired a team of dog-handler security guards and installed surveillance cameras, spending £100,000 in total. Johnstone also owns nearby land in Clyffe Pypard, where he operates a traveller caravan site that has been the subject of a long-running planning dispute after being developed without permission. At one point, Johnstone visited the earl's house and attempted to show him what he claimed was an ownership document on his phone, but the earl refused to see him.

How it is being reported

• Earl wins court fight with traveller site owner who 'threatened to invade aristocrat's woods with army of men and dogs saying it was his'Kenneth Mackay, the 83-year-old fourth Lord Inchcape, hired a team of dog-handler security guards as well as taking court action.Daily Mail · 23 Oct, 10:20
• Mega-rich earl wins £100k fight with traveller site owner over threats to 'invade' his woodsKenneth Mackay, the 83-year-old fourth Lord Inchcape, hired a team of dog-handler security guardsThe Independent · 23 Oct, 09:14

In this story: Kenneth Mackay, fourth Lord Inchcape · Leeroy Johnstone · Manor Farm, Clyffe Pypard, Wiltshire · London's High Court

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem