‘Leave me alone’, says campervan owner facing eviction from private car park

The owner of a self-converted campervan has spoke out after it was announced legal action was being sought to remove him, the Dorset Echo reports.

Gary Jones has been living in his ex-ambulance, which has been parked on the privately-owned car park overlooking the beach at Castle Cove in Portland Harbour, Dorset for nearly two years.

The car park is owned by the adjoining Castle Cove Sailing Club, who are now taking fresh legal action to have Gary removed.

He said: “I know I’m taking up a space, but I am a local and I did have a house here.

“I have been threatened with legal action again, I found a yellow letter tucked onto my van.

“I’ve told the sailing club I’m happy to go to court. I’m going to fight the power. I have a lot of local support.

“I have 80 per cent support from people I meet face to face, but you go to the Facebook comments and its about 20 per cent.

“People who come back for another holiday say to me they’re glad I’m still here. People on Portland who can see me across the water come over to say hello and hope I’m well.

“I am supported in this town by locals.”

The Sailing Club say they are left with no choice but to instigate legal proceedings, which they say, ‘will take some time’.

It comes after Dorset Council and Dorset Police have both said the situation does not come under their jurisdiction as the land is privately owned.

Gary added: “I’d like to say to the sailing club that I need to be here to recover, please, I really want to stop drinking, but if they take my dog like they’ve implied they would and if they make me sit in a little room I won’t get better, so please just let me get better.

“I’m doing a lot of good whilst I’m here, I painted my van to try and make it look nicer so please just leave me alone.

“That’s all I need is to just be left alone.”

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