Nomadic 'van-lifers' clash with residents as scenic British coastline home to stunning homes overrun

A clifftop car park near one of Cornwall's most spectacular beaches has become a battleground between a determined community of nomadic van-dwellers and homeowners with properties valued upwards of £750,000.

Little Fistral in Newquay, a stretch of coastline frequently likened to the Mediterranean thanks to its turquoise waters and golden sand, draws some 2.2 million visitors each year.

Yet alongside the tourists, a committed group of 'van-lifers' have pitched up on the headland, parking converted vans with sweeping ocean views.

Their proximity to Headland Road - brimming with stunning properties - has fuelled escalating tensions with homeowners, as reported by The Sun newspaper.

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Confrontations have turned physical, with reports of residents punching van-dwellers, spitting at them, and scratching their vehicles.

Just this month, 31 van occupants were issued eviction notices, giving them just two days to vacate.

Tom Dawes, a 46-year-old from Essex, is among those who call the car park home.

A survivor of both bone cancer and lung cancer who spent nearly five years in hospital as a young man, he now lives in a converted van with his two dogs, Betty and Dolly, on roughly £400 a month.

"It's the best thing I ever did," he said, adding: "Trying to struggle to pay for a roof over my head was the most stressful, depressing thing I think I ever did. I probably should have been dead in 1997, so every day is a bonus."

Mr Dawes described how a group of hostile residents organised against the van community.

He said: "It was basically like pitchforks - one guy called my friend scum, so he went after him, asking what his problem was, and this man attacked him, punched him in the head.

"People have been spat at and abused and had their vans scratched."

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However, he acknowledged the frustration of nearby homeowners, and said: "Imagine you had a multi-million-pound house on the beach, and then we come and park out here - it's not ideal for them."

George Vincent, 28, from Southampton, has shared van life with his girlfriend on and off for eight years, with their vehicle costing £9,500, and monthly expenses remaining below £500.

One single mother who has spent more than two years living in a van with her young son pointed to the housing crisis as a driving factor.

"It's too expensive to rent a flat since people started changing their properties into holiday rentals, so it's a problem society has created," she said.

Local residents counter that the van-dwellers use public facilities and bins without contributing to the community.

One homeowner complained: "They use the facilities and the bins, but don't pay for the privilege, so it doesn't seem very fair on those of us who do pay."

Cornwall Council has since served eviction notices on 31 members of the van-dwelling community, though at least one reportedly vowed to return.

The council-owned car park also serves as access to Towan Beach.

Councillor Joanna Kenny, who represents the area, said: "The legal ramifications of dealing with this sort of activity on an off-road parking area are very complex and are still being resolved."

A local toilet block has been repeatedly shut following vandalism - damage the van-lifers deny causing.

Newquay Town Council warned that "continued misuse of these facilities and any abuse of staff will not be tolerated."

Devon and Cornwall Police said they had assisted the council's civil enforcement team, but stressed the situation "primarily remains a local authority matter."

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