Somerset holiday park wants to install 60 new pitches amid rising demand

Visitors to South Ayrshire Council’s motorhome parking area at Ayr Esplanade have repeatedly complained about late-night cruising, engine revving and antisocial driving. An analysis of around 70 online reviews since the site opened in 2022 found that well over half refer to evening vehicle noise or antisocial driving, with more than 20 reviewers specifically mentioning “boy racers”. Complaints have come from UK visitors as well as tourists from Germany, France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. The council said it is liaising with the community, Ayrshire Roads Alliance and Police Scotland to address the issues.

Andrewshayes Holiday Park near Axminster in East Devon, UK, marked 90 years since receiving one of the country's earliest camping licences in 1936. The park, believed to be one of the UK's oldest continuously family-run licensed holiday parks, held a special event with a barbecue, traditional Devon cream teas, and live music. The park's history began in 1929 when Stan and Marjorie Lawrence moved to Andrewshayes Farm and started hosting passing campers. In 1960, the park was upgraded with mains water, toilets, and washing facilities, and obtained licences for static caravans. In 2020, the park won Holiday Park of the Year at the Devon Tourism Awards, and in 2025 it earned Silver and a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award. Now managed by the fourth generation, Josh and Grace Lawrence, the park offers luxury self-catering caravans alongside pitches for touring caravans, motorhomes, and campers.

Go Outdoors has launched the budget OEX Vertex Lite 130 roof tent, priced at £695 with membership. The tent weighs 39.5 kg, measures 220 x 135 x 98 cm when open, and sleeps two. It pitches in about five minutes, with a waterproof rating of 3000 mm for the main fabric and 6000 mm for the rainfly. However, the mattress is firm, the ladder feels less robust than rivals, and interior headroom (93 cm) is lower than the TentBox Lite (105 cm). Overall, it offers good value for beginners but with trade-offs in comfort and finish.

A caravan allegedly used for prostitution was destroyed in a midnight fire on Ambleside Drive in Southend. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not been determined, and authorities are not treating it as deliberate. Residents had repeatedly complained about the caravan's alleged use for prostitution, and local officials had been working to have it removed.

Terry Stockford, his fiancée Jemma Higgs and her two children encountered bed bugs in a caravan at Haven's Devon Cliffs Holiday Park. Stockford suffered about 120 bites, the family slept in their car and received compensation.

Wildings Holidays in Bourton-on-the-Water received a 4.82 out of 5 rating from Campsites.co.uk, earning a spot on the annual list of top UK camping, glamping, and touring parks. The site offers camping, glamping, and cottages, with facilities including a bar, coffee shop, and easy access to the village.