Unauthorised caravan encampment remains on green space as council seeks court action

Shula Witherford, owner of The Swan Inn in Upton Warren, Bromsgrove, has asked for the return of a family caravan stolen from the pub's rear car park around 1am on July 19. The caravan contained a 'very personal sentimental item' and was taken despite locks and partial blocking by a car. West Mercia Police confirmed the theft report and said the investigation is due to be allocated.

Police are appealing for witnesses after a campervan reportedly collided with a horse and left the scene on the Isle of Wight. The incident occurred at around 11:40am at the junction of Shanklin Road and Redhill Lane between Godshill and Whiteley Bank. The off-white campervan is said to have clipped the horse, sounded its horn, and sped off. Neither the horse nor the rider was injured.

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning for those staying in caravans, mobile homes and campsites this summer. The advice follows a major fire at Oaks Caravan Park in Fyfield Wick, near Abingdon, on July 12, caused by a barbecue. More than 20 caravans were damaged, and five households remain homeless. The service advises against bonfires or campfires on caravan parks and recommends checking site rules before using barbecues, keeping them away from caravans and dry grass.

Herefordshire Council has issued an enforcement notice to AS Green, a large vegetable grower at Rook Row Farm near Mathon, requiring it to reverse unauthorised changes. The farm installed 33 static caravans for workers and converted a barn for year-round vegetable processing, drawing complaints from neighbours. The notice demands cessation of non-agricultural use, including industrial, storage, distribution and residential activities, within six months, and removal of all caravans and container accommodation within nine months. The council cited detrimental impact of heavy goods traffic on road safety and unsustainable development in the countryside.

The Environment Agency has objected to a planning application for a 100-caravan holiday park east of Whitbarrow Farm near the A66 in Cumbria. The agency cited a lack of justification for a private sewage system over a mains connection and warned of pollution risks to Skitwath Beck. Over 50 public comments have been submitted, with residents arguing the development would create 'an extra village' and cause permanent loss of rural character. National Highways has placed a holding recommendation pending further traffic data, and the lead local flood authority said insufficient information was provided on surface water management.

Firefighters extinguished a fire involving a static caravan at Hillcrest Mobile Home Park in Amesbury. Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to Porton Road shortly after 9:30am on Tuesday, July 21. Three crews from Amesbury, Ludgershall and Andover attended, with six breathing apparatus wearers using one main line, two hose reel jets and a ground monitor. Wiltshire Police managed traffic on Porton Road during the incident.