A group of travellers have infuriated residents of a leafy London suburb after setting up camp next to a nearby park.
Locals living next to Ealing Common in west London have been left fuming following the arrival of a large convoy earlier this month.
Around 14 large caravans have been spotted parked up along Warwick Road, which runs through the posh W5 borough.
The group appear to have made themselves quite at home, with fold-out tables, towels and gas cylinders dotted around the temporary camp.
But residents of the surrounding properties, valued as much as £4.3m, are furious with the amount of rubbish that their new neighbours have left behind.
They have become enraged over the apparent lack of care taken by the travellers at the site, where mounds of waste have already begun piling up on the grass.
Bin bags, food packaging and even items of clothing also appear to have been strewn across Warwick Road, which runs through the heart of Ealing Common.
It is not the first time travellers have made Ealing Common their home, with locals previously saying caravans are often parked on the grass during the summer months.
Back in June 2019, at least eight caravans were seen scattered around parts of the common, as groups of children ran between the vehicles.
Some members of the public at the time said they were too scared to walk between the vehicles as they felt ‘intimidated’ by the travellers.
Marie Shelton, 66, branded the group ‘selfish’ because the common should be enjoyed by everyone.
She said: ‘It’s frustrating that the council can’t seem to stop them.
‘I know it happens in other places and I think put up a barrier to stop them.
‘It’s called a common for a reason, it’s for everyone to enjoy.
‘But when they come along like this, it is selfish and it can be intimidating.
‘They act like it’s their own private land and don’t care whether it affects other people who have lived here for years.
‘I can’t imagine it is good for the grass and I doubt they put all of their rubbish in the park bins – they are far too small.
‘I doubt they pay for the trouble so that leaves us who pay council tax to fund the clean up.’
Becky Chambers, 26, a charity worker, said at the time: ‘I don’t live far from here and to be honest I’ve gotten use to it.
‘I know lots of people aren’t happy about it and think they shouldn’t be here.
‘I understand some people might feel intimated but they don’t affect me.
‘You can see that they are families so if they are here they mustn’t have anywhere else to go.
‘They’re here quite often but mainly during the summer when the weather is good.