If this happens to you, you can seek advice by calling CallFirst on 0370 845 8458. The specialists will help you understand your legal position. The NFU offers an Illegal Encampment Service that includes details of bailiffs who can assist in relevant circumstances.
We also encourage you to contact your local authority to see if they can offer any assistance. And if you believe that a criminal offence is taking place or has taken place, contact the police.
Legal powers of local authorities and the police
One of the most frequently asked questions the NFU gets asked is “do the local authority or the police have a duty to move travellers or trespassers where they are on land without the landowner/occupier’s permission?”
Unfortunately for those suffering the trespass, the answer is no. Trespass is a civil matter, not a criminal offence. The powers that the local authority and the police have are discretionary so they cannot be forced to use them, and they can only be used when certain conditions exist.
When local authorities and the police do exercise their powers they have to ensure that they do so lawfully, or they may face a challenge in court.