People living in the UK’s traveller hotspot have spoken out, with one describing their battle against illegal camps as never-ending. The council were even forced to spend thousands of pounds to remove one unauthorised site over a two-day period last year.
Families of travellers have been appearing in car parks and fields across Buckinghamshire for years, and residents have had enough. Over the last two years, the county has recorded the biggest increase in the number of caravans of any across England. One park, in Rye, has been taken over by travellers a number of times, with Buckinghamshire Council splashing out £3,700 to remove one group in 2025.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Amy, who has lived in High Wycombe her whole life, said: “It feels like they are always coming back. They go to lots of places across Buckinghamshire. Anywhere they get into – car parks, fields, anything – they will park up.”
Other locals have expressed their frustration at paying high council tax rates just for the money to be spent on getting rid of the illegal encampments. Some of the travellers have also been spotted shoplifting in town centres and carrying out antisocial behaviour.
Some public areas are reportedly left “in a tip” when the travellers leave. Speaking about one site on the outskirts of High Wycombe, a local said: “They left everything, from lumps of metal to broken chairs.”
Across the county, reported incidents of fly-tipping on public land surged from 3,293 in 2022/23 to 4,272 in 2023/24.
The travellers reportedly arrive on Friday evenings or before Bank Holiday weekends. This makes it harder for councils to launch legal action before the start of the following working week.
A lay-by near the village of Stoke Hammond has been nicknamed “Gypsy Lane” by residents. Figures show Buckinghamshire Council spent £556 to remove a camp at the site in 2025, with the process taking three weeks.
Steve Turner said they “turn up quickly” and one or two people quickly turn into a group of “20 to 30″. He said they drove away and then just came back” after being evicted.
Some locals in Marlow have been forced to take matters into their own hands. Martin Moore put barriers up around his land to stop travellers from accessing it.
Buckinghamshire Council said: “We take concerns raised by residents seriously and take appropriate action in line with our legal responsibilities and the circumstances of each case.”
A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police said the force remains “committed to tackling shoplifting and retail crime across the Thames Valley”. They added that “retail crime will not be tolerated”.