Landowner fined £100k for illegal caravan park on protected site

Between July 11 and 12, unknown suspects forced entry through a window to the Gravers site on Edington Road in Steeple Ashton, near Trowbridge, causing significant damage to fixtures and fittings and stealing a framed Bath rugby shirt. On the same night, at Raydown Leaze, rubble and rocks were thrown over a fence, damaging multiple caravans. Wiltshire Police are appealing for witnesses and information.

A Dutch couple, Juan and Sandra, moved into a motorhome and now spend about 1,060 euros per month living on a campsite in the UK, allowing them to save money. They faced criticism on social media but emphasize their choice was deliberate, valuing the quiet and financial freedom.

Hayley Rubery from the UK bought a 1989 caravan for £500 (about 14,000 Czech crowns) and spent three months renovating it in the evenings and on weekends. The renovation cost £498. The caravan, named 'Joyce', now features a retro-style interior and a metallic exterior. Hayley and her boyfriend Ben plan to use it for travel.

Holgates, founded in 1956 when Billy and Miriam Holgate leased coastal farmland between Silverdale and Arnside, is celebrating its 70th anniversary. The company, still family-owned and operated, now runs nine parks across Lancashire and Cumbria and employs over 200 staff. Special events are planned throughout the year to mark the occasion.

Emergency services were called to a road crash involving a motorhome on the M6 near Lancaster on Sunday morning. Three fire engines from Lancaster and Bolton-le-Sands attended the incident on the M6 northbound between Junctions 33 and 34 on Monday morning, after being called at 4.26am. Fire crews used a triple extension ladder, scene lighting, a hearth kit, a salvage sheet and a thermal imaging camera, and were in attendance for approximately one hour and 30 minutes. Lancashire Police said it was a single vehicle damage only collision involving a van, with the call received at 4:21am.

UK claims firm European Consumer Claims (ECC) has released three case studies illustrating alleged abuses by holiday park operators. In one case, a disabled woman in her 70s spent her £120,000 compensation on caravans that proved unsuitable, leaving her with unsellable units and high pitch fees. In another, two lodges belonging to complainants burned down on the same day under unexplained circumstances. ECC is also representing a couple who faced dog attacks and intimidation by machete-wielding individuals at a park.