Travellers leave behind ‘war zone’: Litter, dirty nappies and burn-out caravan left behind after council evicted them from illegal site

Residents of a small town are furious after a group of travelers left behind a ‘war zone’ in an illegal area they were evacuated from last year.

Pictures show rubbish, dirty nappies, dirty bedding and even an abandoned, out-of-use caravan at the camp near the A44 in Leominster, Herefordshire.

Travelers abandoned the area months ago after the council issued a legal order under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 following a raft of complaints from disgruntled residents.

But local residents are now calling for greater crackdowns on groups entering illegal sites, saying those responsible for the unrest in Leominster are causing ‘real problems’ in the area.

Photographer Dan Jones, who took the photos, said: ‘We have a lot of travelers in this part of the world and most are generally very well-behaved and unbothered.

‘But this particular group caused real problems. I was shocked when I saw the condition of the area where they were camping.

‘It was literally covered in piles of rubbish, old and burnt out vehicles. It was disgusting.

‘I think they were kicked off the land but then moved to another lot down the road. This is a huge problem.’

Pictures show rubbish, dirty nappies, dirty beds and even an abandoned, out-of-use caravan at the camp

Travelers were ordered to move out last year after the council issued a legal order under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 following a slew of complaints from disgruntled residents.

Another local resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, described the travelers as ‘common criminals’.

They said: ‘Nobody in power is doing anything to protect the law-abiding people who live in the towns here.

‘These people claim to live a nomadic lifestyle which is part of their culture but this is nonsense, they are nothing but common criminals.

‘How could anyone in their right mind think it was normal to leave a place this badly?

‘They moved onto this land illegally, left it looking like a war zone, and taxpayers will be footing the bill. How is this true?’

The illegal camp has become so famous in 2025 that social media users even Googled it as a ‘tourist attraction’.

Dubbed ‘Backyard Campground’, it received two stars and was described as a ‘cultural black hole’ by one unimpressed reviewer.

Pictures show something may have burned in the area near the junction of the A44 and A49

Dirt roads pass between two large garbage heaps abandoned in the camp

Residents are now calling for the municipality to take action against travelers entering illegal sites

The site, located on council-owned land close to the A44 and A49 junction, was the subject of legal action last year.

A spokesman said at the time that passengers’ failure to comply with the previously mentioned order could lead to court proceedings. The council said it had ‘exhausted current steps to manage the camp’.

After the group finally left, the council’s Gypsy and Traveler Team and officers from Environmental Health swooped in to see if the site could work as a long-term stopping point.

However, the idea was quickly scrapped. According to the council, previous proposals had been rejected due to ‘allegations of antisocial or disruptive behavior’ and concerns about ‘the safety and sustainability of the site’.

The authority admitted last year that ‘waste left on the land will eventually have to be removed directly by the municipality’ as it falls to them to restore the dilapidated area.

Herefordshire Council has been approached for an update and further comment.