Illegal encampment set up on Hampshire field over bank holiday

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 18:20 · Archive

An illegal encampment was established on an eight-acre field in South Warnborough, Hampshire, over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

An illegal encampment was established on an eight-acre field at Hares Farm in South Warnborough, Hampshire, over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The operation began at approximately 5.30pm on Friday, August 28, coinciding with the closure of local council offices for the three-day break. Witnesses reported men wearing balaclavas and hoodies operating diggers and vans to clear and level the land, which had previously been used for crop farming. Much of the field has since been covered with tarmac and gravel, with multiple caravans and mobile homes already in place.

Local residents have expressed serious concerns about the encampment. One resident told the Daily Mail that residents no longer felt safe in their own back gardens and that the situation had damaged the mental health and anxiety levels of vulnerable people in the area. Another resident said some residents are now unwilling to venture outdoors. Homeowners have also raised concerns about the impact on property values, with some fearing the encampment could make their homes difficult to sell.

How it is being reported

• Million-pound homeowners ‘don’t feel safe going outside’ after travellers bulldozed field next doorHomeowners in the quiet Hampshire village of South Warnborough say they are living in fear after masked travellers descended on a greenbelt field over the August Bank Holiday weekend, tearing up the land with heavy machinery and laying tarmac across much of the eight-acre site. The operation at Hares Farm began at approximately 5.30pm on Friday, August 28, just as local council staff were finishing for the three-day break, with witnesses reporting men wearing balaclavas and hoodies driving diggers and vans onto the former farmland. Large swathes of the field have now been covered in tarmac…GB News · 24 Oct, 16:52
• Our village is being terrorised by balaclava-clad travellers: Million-pound homeowners 'don't feel safe going outside' after group bulldozed field and moved in with caravansAn illegal encampment was set up in the picturesque village of South Warnborough, Hampshire, over the August Bank Holiday weekend.Daily Mail · 24 Oct, 11:20

In this story: South Warnborough · Hampshire · Hares Farm

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