Residents of the quiet Buckinghamshire villages of Dinton and Upton have been left in a state of panic after travellers set up an unauthorised camp and allegedly demanded £600,000 to leave. The travellers, who purchased a plot of land on the edge of the villages last year, moved three caravans, a mobile home and lorries onto the greenfield site on Saturday, February 28.
Local residents fear they may have fallen victim to a 'land grab' scam. The camp is located in a conservation area, and some locals who protested were allegedly told by the travellers that they would only leave if the land was bought for £600,000. Michael Cook, the previous owner of the land, described the situation as an 'emergency' for the village.
Buckinghamshire Council obtained a High Court injunction earlier this month and issued a temporary stop notice on March 2, prohibiting further materials or caravans from being moved onto the site. However, the order was breached hours later when a mobile home was brought onto the land. Firefighters were called to extinguish a blaze after a mobile home was reportedly burnt down overnight on March 3.
A family member of the travellers denied any intention to commit an offence and claimed the family had been the target of a 'racist' campaign. Thames Valley Police are investigating an arson incident involving a caravan fire on Upton Road, Dinton, and have appealed for witnesses.
Peter Strachan, Deputy Leader of Buckinghamshire Council, stated: 'We know that this has been a worrying issue for the local community which is why we took immediate action as soon as we were able to. We take these breaches very seriously and hope this action sends a clear message that it is important to abide by rules and regulations.' The council will continue to monitor the situation closely.
