Travellers flee serene Southwold less than 72 hours after setting up camp... because the locals were 'unfriendly and rude'

By Daily Mail Reporter

Travellers' children play with a horse on the common at Southwold, Suffolk. The families moved on withing 72 hours claiming locals were rude


A group of travellers have fled one of Britain's most exclusive seaside towns after claiming residents were unwelcoming and rude.

A dozen families set up camp in Southwold, Suffolk, causing a stir among locals.

The genteel resort is a favourite of celebrities such as Michael Palin, Chris Evans, Rowan Atkinson, Simon Mayo and Gary Lineker.

The travellers took over part of the town's common on the edge of the resort last weekend - but within 72 hours they had packed up and left complaining that locals were 'unfriendly and ill-mannered.'

The local council was preparing to launch expensive legal action to get the group moved on when the travellers suddenly departed.

Before they harnessed up their caravans to vans and expensive four-wheel drives, including a Range Rover, one woman said: 'They are supposed to be posh people here but they are just ignorant.

'They said rude things to us and called our children names. We have as much right as anyone else to have a holiday but they have been saying awful things about us and we will never come here again.'

Another traveller, Bill Lee, 39, said: 'We haven't been welcomed here with open arms - the local community seemed a bit scared of us but we only came here to bring the kids to the seaside for a holiday break.

'But we have been hassled from the minute we got here.'

John Miller, chairman of the Southwold Common Trust that looks after the 140-acre common left to the people of the town by a 17th century benefactor, said: 'We were just relieved to see them go - the common is the wonder of Southwold.

'We did not want them there - they were breaking by-laws that forbid any vehicles on the common.'


Picturesque: The genteel resort is a favourite of celebrities such as Michael Palin, Chris Evans, Rowan Atkinson, Simon Mayo and Gary Lineker.


He added: 'They promised they would only be there for a few days but had already leafleted the town offering to collect scrap and they were doing some sort of welding on the common.

'When we discovered they had arrived the town clerk and I went to see them with two policemen and we told them they have to leave immediately.

'We had to fix notices on all their caravans and vehicles which they didn't like much because they were worried the tape would spoil the paintwork.

'We had been expecting a lengthy and costly battle - up to £5,000 - to get them off the common but it seems the townspeople saved us time and money.'

Town Clerk Jenny Hursell said: 'Southwold is a very friendly, warm and welcoming town - but the travellers were their own worst enemy.

'They did some unpleasant things and they did leave a mess behind. We were very concerned that they were going to be there for months.'

But Southwold's loss has meant problems for residents living just a few miles away - the travellers have now set up camp in the nearby village of Brampton.



source: dailymail