Police Launch Investigation into Unauthorised Traveller Site in Hertfordshire Village
Police are actively investigating a series of serious allegations, including threatening behaviour, criminal damage, and the illegal felling of trees, following the overnight appearance of a travellers site in the quiet Hertfordshire village of Flamstead. Officers initiated the probe after the group arrived on Thursday, with furious villagers witnessing them drive machinery onto green belt land near Friendless Lane.
Easter Weekend Occupation Sparks Outrage
The first batch of caravans emerged on Easter Sunday morning, taking advantage of the bank holiday weekend when council officials were off duty. Aerial images reveal that the group has concreted over large sections of the land, prior to submitting a planning application for a substantial new traveller site comprising 14 plots and 42 caravans. Hertfordshire Constabulary has received multiple reports from individuals involved in a dispute in the area, with allegations extending to road traffic offences and damage to local infrastructure.
Residents of Flamstead have claimed that the large vehicles utilised by the group have caused significant damage to local roads and were observed with missing number plates. They further alleged that the group employed sheer force to gain access to the site, resulting in damage to parked cars and even a police vehicle. An aerial view illustrates the extent of the damage inflicted on the land in recent days, after travellers arrived with diggers and machinery.
Environmental and Legal Concerns Mount
Those involved have also been accused of causing harm to local wildlife and trees, including branches being cut off while caravans were brought onto the site. The investigation remains ongoing, with police appealing for anyone with information or footage of the alleged incidents to come forward. Work appears to continue on the site, which already accommodates more than a dozen caravans, with plans for additional units measuring up to 55 feet in length.
The group has laid down extensive concrete squares on the land, situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and surrounded by rolling fields and woodland. It is believed that the travellers selected the Easter weekend for their move due to the two bank holidays, anticipating a slower response from authorities. Residents estimated that approximately 300 trips were made by individuals delivering materials onto the site, with one incident allegedly involving a police car being rammed off the road.
Community Backlash and Planning Disputes
Anger has also been sparked by reports of trees being felled illegally, temporarily blocking access to Friendless Lane, though these have since been removed. A parish councillor described the situation, stating that at about 7 o'clock on Sunday, a large group of travellers barged their way through, accompanied by violent abuse, threats, and people wielding iron bars. One resident recounted to the BBC that vans and caravans drove aggressively at locals, pushing their way through and causing distress.
Caravans arrived days later despite Dacorum Borough Council issuing a temporary stop notice on Saturday, a planning enforcement tool designed to halt work. The group has now applied for planning permission to convert the Green Belt site from agricultural land to a Gypsy and Traveller site, consisting of 14 pitches. Each pitch would include space for one permanent mobile home, two touring caravans, and one day room, with mobile homes typically measuring 55 feet long and 14 feet wide, and amenity buildings reaching four metres in height.
Contradictions and Objections Emerge
The agent submitting the application claimed that work had not yet commenced on the site, dated April 6, but locals have pointed out that construction actually began four days earlier, on April 2. There are already more than 40 objections to the application, with one criticising the applicants' conduct as disgraceful, citing the use of force and exploitation of the bank holiday to gain access. Objectors also noted damage to roads from overweight vehicles and threats made towards local people.
Others described the local area as being brutalised and unsuited to a large influx of people, arguing that retrospective applications should not circumvent proper planning controls. The proposal has been deemed out of character, destroying traditional field patterns and resulting in the loss of high-quality agricultural land.
Authorities Respond and Seek Information
Dacorum Chief Inspector Paul Stanbridge emphasised that while unauthorised building works are a civil planning matter, police are focused on ensuring public safety, preventing breaches of the peace, and investigating criminal activity. He urged anyone with information or video footage to report it directly to police via online channels, by calling 101, or contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Earlier this week, local Liberal Democrat MP Victoria Collins stated that Dacorum Council is working actively with the police on next steps, following due process. She highlighted that the temporary stop notice is the first step towards legal action against unauthorised work, which has caused distress to local people and damaged land in the precious Chiltern Landscape.
A statement from Dacorum Borough Council confirmed that they were informed of unauthorised hardcore being laid on the privately owned land on April 3. After assessing the situation, they served a temporary stop notice on April 4, requiring works to cease immediately, and successfully obtained an emergency injunction from the court on April 5, prohibiting any unauthorised works or use of the site. The council now awaits a scheduled court hearing before further legal proceedings can proceed.
