Campers have left Tyne Green in Hexham after spending 34 days at the public park, but residents and councillors are warning that the disruption could return next summer unless Northumberland County Council, Northumbria Police and other agencies agree a clear plan.
The group arrived on July 28 and the last campers left on August 30, according to residents speaking at a Hexham Town Council meeting. Locals said more than seven vehicles had been on the site, which is county council land, and described alleged verbal abuse, noise, distress, large fires, dangerous vehicle movements and horses being ridden along nearby roads.
The complaints have raised questions about how unauthorised camping on public open space is dealt with, particularly when residents report behaviour they believe is criminal or creates a risk to public safety. The campers have now moved on, but people living near Tyne Green fear the same situation could be repeated, potentially on a larger scale, without earlier intervention and clearer responsibilities.
Residents describe a month of disruption
Karen Bewick told councillors that her main concern was not simply who had been staying at Tyne Green, but how the authorities had responded. She said she had contacted the emergency services after being chased by male campers when she asked how long they intended to remain. She also reported being verbally abused by one of the women at the site.
“My main issue is the way Northumberland County Council and Northumbria Police dealt with the situation. I personally felt I was immediately considered to be a middle-aged NIMBY (not in my backyard).”
Ms Bewick said a large fire made from pallets was lit on the night of a national wildfire alert. The source reports this as her account of what happened at Tyne Green. Residents also said the site contained more than seven vehicles, adding to their concerns about the scale and duration of the occupation.
Louise Simpson said the campers’ presence had resulted in “noise, disturbance and distress”. She told the meeting that children had galloped horses up and down roads and that she no longer felt able to walk her dogs off the lead. She also alleged that a vehicle had driven directly towards her.
“My life was made a living hell. I was nearly ran over by a vehicle that drove straight at me.”
Ms Simpson said residents believed damage had been caused and questioned why action had not been followed through. Eileen Joyce said she had no problem with people who travel to Appleby Horse Fair, referring to her long experience of living there without problems when visitors cleared up afterwards. She said the situation at Tyne Green was different because the campers had remained in place.
Susan Henderson told councillors that the public space had been abused. She said people were again using Tyne Green after the campers left, describing it as a place the community had previously been able to enjoy.
Councillors seek a response before next summer
Mayor of Hexham Derek Kennedy, who also represents the town’s West ward on Northumberland County Council, said he had received many complaints that Tyne Green and the surrounding area had not been used as they should have been.
Coun Kennedy distinguished the group from people travelling to Appleby Horse Fair, saying the campers had used Tyne Green and nearby land as a caravan park. He said the incident had taken authorities by surprise, while recognising that officers who tried to deal with it had faced difficult circumstances. He called for a properly considered solution before next year and said Hexham Town Council was disturbed by the effect on residents and other users of the green.
Councillor Penny Grennan said the town needed to understand what had gone wrong, including why responsibility appeared to have passed between organisations. She said alleged criminal behaviour had to be examined and that the authorities needed to identify what should happen if a similar camp appeared again.
Councillor Steven Ball described the site as an illegal camp and warned that the problem could become harder to manage if more people returned with it. Councillor Suzanne Fairless-Aitken, the county councillor for Hexham East, said reasonable and fair measures were needed and that the situation could not continue.
What the council and police say
Northumberland County Council said unauthorised camping on public open spaces had increased this year, including on or near Tyne Green. The authority said it was working with partner organisations to discuss the concerns, review the current position and consider appropriate action.
The council encouraged people to report illegal activity to the police and asked visitors to use legal, designated campsites. It said this was important to ensure public open spaces remained available for everyone to enjoy.
Northumbria Police said it received a report of alleged verbal abuse in the Hexham area on August 8. Following enquiries, the force said the report was not progressed because of a lack of evidence. A further report on August 14 concerned the arrival of an additional caravan and a transit van. Police said no associated crime or antisocial behaviour had been reported in connection with that report.
The force said it continued to work with partner agencies on antisocial behaviour concerns. A multi-agency meeting was due to take place later in the month, bringing together relevant organisations to review the issues, clarify responsibilities and identify constructive options for the future. No specific date for that meeting was given.
The source explains that police powers under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act can be used to move campers on, but that the powers involve high thresholds and evidence of significant damage, disruption or distress. The article does not provide a separate legal assessment of those requirements.
People with concerns about antisocial behaviour can contact Northumbria Police by direct message on social media, through the force website’s live chat or online reporting forms, or by calling 101. The immediate occupation of Tyne Green has ended, but the council and police response to the complaints, and any measures agreed before next summer, remain to be clarified.