England's Traveller hotspots mapped as data reveals where numbers have soared five-fold in the past two years

By CAMERON ROY, DATA JOURNALIST Published: 13:51, 5 April 2026 | Updated: 13:51, 5 April 2026 Parts of England have seen a five-fold increase in the number of Traveller caravans over the last two years. Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire saw the largest rate of increase, rising 136 per cent from nine in July 2023 to 47 in July 2025.  Buckinghamshire Council, however, recorded the biggest increase in actual numbers, housing 560 more caravans across the same period - an increase of 60 per cent. And there are no signs of the expansion slowing down, with local news reports showing a slew of traveller site planning applications and approvals in the last 12 months - despite strong opposition from residents. Peter Strachan, of Buckinghamshire Council, told the Daily Mail the increase was down to 'natural population growth within families already living on established sites' and 'the creation of additional permitted sites'. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Behind Buckinghamshire came Maidstone, with caravan numbers jumping from 901 to 1,237.  North Northamptonshire rounded out the top three, from 232 to 414.  Catherine Sayer, leader of Tandridge Council, which had an increase of 110 caravans, told the Daily Mail: 'We have evidence that not all the caravans are being used by gypsies and travellers.' She said they are instead being rented out to undocumented illegals, describing it as a 'growing problem'.  Ms Sayer said: 'They go out on a weekend when they know no one is working and remove the hardstanding to get it ready for people to move in the static caravans. 'We've been seeing other citizens going out in their own vehicles, blocking travellers from getting access to places they shouldn't.' Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Although some authorities have seen a huge uptick, Somerset has seen an exodus of the travelling community, with around 391 caravans fewer now than in 2023. The figures, which come after the Daily Mail last month mapped all 276 of England's public Traveller sites, are held by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. As well as covering authorised permanent sites, the data includes temporary set-ups on farmers' fields or land owned by councils such as parks and cricket grounds. Labour has been accused of a 'soft-touch' approach, with ministers facing demands for a major clampdown on illegal sites scarring the countryside.  Unauthorised camps have sprung up in prized rural green belts as well as protected national parks. Terrified locals say they are 'powerless' to act, with some fearful of reprisals for speaking out against the shameless flouting of strict planning laws. Earlier this year, a group of travellers were accused of 'holding a village to ransom' near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.  A traveller family bought a plot on conservation land believed to be worth around £15,000 last year, before installing the hardstanding surface.  Travellers moved on to a plot near the village of Dinton outside Aylesbury in February Unbeknown to locals and the former owner, a traveller family bought the plot last year and on February 28 three caravans, a mobile home and lorries moved on to the site  Furious locals campaigned against the family's presence and treatment of the land and in response, the travellers have offered to be bought out of their investment for £600,000.  Such behaviour has given travellers a reputation in some parts of the country and the public is often concerned that a site will bring with it an increase in crime. Travellers are significantly over-represented in prisons. Despite making up between 0.1-0.5 per cent of the general population, they account for around 5 per cent of total prisoners in England and Wales, according to the Prisoners' Education Trust. Evidence also suggests Gypsy and Traveller children are over-represented within the youth justice system. The term 'Gypsies and Travellers' encompasses a range of groups with different histories, cultures and beliefs, including Romany Gypsies, Welsh Gypsies, Scottish Gypsy Travellers and Irish Travellers. Local authorities are responsible for delivering suitable accommodation for such communities. Travellers say they've been forced to break planning rules and live on unauthorised sites because of a national shortage of publicly provided sites. A slew of high-profile cases have seen Travellers purchase land, often in leafy parts of the Home Counties, before swooping in to lay tarmac and create pitches. They have then sought planning permission retrospectively, forcing local authorities to remove them from an area already built over, in an often lengthy and costly process. One such case near Guildford in Surrey saw a field concreted under the cover of darkness close to a community of families living in £3million homes in November. Nearly eight in ten Travellers and Gypsies live in brick and mortar accommodation.  A spokesman from the North Northamptonshire Council said there was 'no clear explanation' for why numbers have risen, but pointed to an increase in unauthorised sites. A Horsham District Council spokesman said the 'count is a snapshot of the position on the day that the count was undertaken'. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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