The Home Counties village where 'travellers outnumber locals': Families in 20 caravans expand illegal camp as they bulldoze another field in weekend land grab

By RORY TINGLE, HOME AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT and ISAAC CROWSON Published: 00:39, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 00:39, 29 June 2026 A Home Counties village is now said to contain 'more travellers than locals' after a large new site was built without permission over one weekend.  Workers descended on the field in Tilsworth, Bedfordshire, two weeks ago before building an unauthorised encampment next to an existing legal site. Locals say their lives have been made 'hell' by noisy construction work, a large fire and 'threats' against anyone trying to intervene. The unauthorised development began on Friday, June 12, shortly before staff at Central Bedfordshire Council went home for the weekend. Officials secured a stop notice the following Tuesday and are in the process of seeking an injunction banning further work.  Central Bedfordshire Council insists it has made dealing with the site a 'priority'.  But villagers condemned its response as 'useless' and were left stunned after receiving a 'threatening' email from one of its officials.   Responding to a blizzard of complaints from locals, the official replied: 'The frequency of these emails are starting to prevent the officers conducting their duties.  'I am concerned by some of the opinions expressed. If there is an update to the site this will be shared.' Workers descended on the field in Tilsworth, Bedfordshire two weeks ago before building an unauthorised encampment (bottom) next to an existing legal site (top)  Villagers have complained of 'constant' building worth at the new illegal site  An aerial view of the two sites and some of the surrounding houses  One father, who lives near the site, told the Daily Mail: 'That email is trying to silence us. 'We just don't feel it's fair that travellers are able to move into a field and cause mayhem. They've destroyed hedges and habitats. 'It was the usual Friday afternoon situation, 5pm when they knew the council would close. 'The travellers told us we can't do anything and said they'd do what they want. The council email feels like a threat. It's a disgrace.' Councillors are currently reviewing a retrospective planning application for the site - raising the prospect it could win official approval. The Conservatives have called for ministers to ban any traveller site from being given retrospective planning approval after being built without permission. There are 19 motorhomes and caravans on the new encampment alongside 70 on the existing site. The village itself has around 140 homes, according to locals, prompting some to claim they are now outnumbered.  One villager - who was too scared to provide his name after hearing about threats - said: 'Their mobile homes have five or six people living in many of them. Locals also claim a sewage tanker in the existing traveller site has overfilled, leaving a 'foul' smell. Another day, people at the site began burning waste, sending smoke billowing over the village.  The unauthorised development began on Friday, June 12, shortly before staff at Central Bedfordshire Council went home for the weekend Travellers took a weekend to transform the green field into an ugly encampment  A second villager said: 'We were refused planning permission to extend our conservatory slightly and have a change of use in one room - the council came down on us like a tonne of bricks. 'But they roll out a red carpet for travellers. It's wrong. That Friday was like a military-scale invasion.' The woman is trying to sell her £500,000 home, which she now says is 'impossible'. Others believe the traveller sites will wipe off hundreds of thousands off the value of their properties Travellers denied the new development is causing problems.  One said: 'I have only been here two days. I'll be gone soon.'  Central Bedfordshire Council said: 'We understand the concern this matter has caused for residents in Tilsworth, and we recognise that people want clear information about what action the council has taken. 'Officers have responded quickly and treated this as a priority. The council was notified that works had begun on the land in the evening of Friday, June 12. Our officers worked late to arrange a visit to the site the next working day to establish the facts and gather the evidence needed to take formal action. 'A Temporary Stop Notice was served on June 16 under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, requiring all further construction work to cease.  The nearby village of Tilsworth, which was mentioned in the Domesday Book  'Since then, the site has been monitored closely, with officers confirming that construction work has stopped and plant machinery is being removed. 'We have received a significant number of enquiries from residents and have responded to those who have contacted us. We will provide further updates when there is a material change. 'The council must follow the correct legal process and ensure any formal action is supported by evidence.  'The Council is waiting for the date of the hearing with the High Court judge to seek to obtain an injunction for the site.' The Mail contacted the council for an update.   Central Bedfordshire is home to nearly 50 permanent traveller sites - one of the highest concentrations in England. The comments below have been moderated in advance. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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