Neighbours in a pretty British city are fuming amid fears their suburb is “turning into a ghetto” with scores of people living in caravans on their streets. Some residents living around Clifton Down in Bristol claim to have seen human excrement and drug paraphernalia which they claim was left by some of those living in the 40 or so vans, mobile homes and caravans parked on the green space outside the city centre.

Mark Smith, 64, was walking his dog in the spring sunshine. He said: “The Down is a real feature of Bristol. We don’t want people in caravans turning it into a ghetto. I would rather see them here than on the streets, but why the council can’t move them to a site is beyond me.”

Mr Smith’s wife, Sara Smith, 66, said: “It’s a difficult situation and the council need to come up with a permanent solution rather than everyone saying not in my back yard.”

Roger White, 83, a member of Sneyd Park Residents Association from nearby Stoke Bishop, said: “It’s a disgrace. We won’t get rid of them as we don’t have strong arm tactics anymore. They won’t go. You’ve got to use force. You’ve got to drag all those caravans away.”

A meeting to discuss the issue was recently organised by the Sneyd Park Residents Association. It packed out St Alban’s Church in Redland and followed publication of a report on the city’s van-dwelling community.

The report suggested the number of people living in vehicles has quadrupled since 2019, when the number was around 150.

A resident, who would only give her first name, Emma, said it was unfortunate the council wasn’t providing the affordable homes people needed, but warned van-dwellers posed a health risk. She said her dog has rolled in human excrement on the Down.

Social worker Emma, 56, said: “We’re a nice, liberal city. We want to support our young people… I feel for the people living in the vans. For some of them it’s a lifestyle choice. But we find little packs (used for drugs). There’s been anti-social behaviour. This is meant to be public parking, but they’re blocking this amenity for other people.”

She suggested some van dwellers have decent paid jobs, pointing to a newspaper report that one person worked in IT on a £60,000 salary.

Peter Williams, 71, a retired photocopier technician, said he was concerned by the number of vans parked on the Down. He said: “The council charge us massive rates to stay here. They should find them a better place to stay.

“If people don’t have a permanent address, it’s very difficult for them to find jobs. It’s a catch 22. I don’t know what the answer is. There’s probably not enough social housing. I certainly don’t want dirty old caravans around the place.”

Richard Macgee, 60, was walking his dog on the Down. He said the van dwellers have never caused him a problem, adding: “They’re pretty invisible. It’s a bit of an eyesore maybe, but that’s about it. If I lived here it might affect me a bit more.”

About 40 vans, caravans and mobile homes were parked on roads around Clifton Down when the Express visited. Most of them were padlocked, with only a few van-dwellers at home.

Rupert, 51, said he has lived in a caravan at the Down for three weeks and has used vehicles as accommodation since 1998. He explained how he was offered emergency accommodation but would have been forced to leave his dog behind and couldn’t find anyone who would take in the South African Boerboel, Zeus.

He said: “I’m getting to the point where I probably do need a roof over my head. I’ve always preferred living on the road. If your neighbour p***** you off, you can move on.”

The dad acknowledged some residents’ concerns, but said they weren’t well-founded. Rupert said: “People up here are not the bad element. They’re pretty quiet and keep themselves to themselves. This is a safe place to leave your vehicle. I would urge people living here to come and say hello and have a conversation.”

Tom, not his real name, has lived in a converted van at the Down for two months after moving out of the St Paul’s part of the city where he said he was paying £600 a month for a room in a shared house.

A part-time chef studying for a qualification in permaculture, Tom, 31, said he attended the meeting at St Albany’s Church to give a human face to the van dwellers. He said: “This is the cheapest way to live right now, but I’m not planning to live here for long. I’ve not seen any trouble here. People are just trying to get on and live their lives…

“We’re stuck in a difficult situation… There could be a solution where land is opened up where people can go, not just a ‘meanwhile’ site. Where would we go if the council just moved us on from here? One reason we’re here is it’s safer.”

The city has about 640-680 “living vehicles”, according to the council, made up of people living on the kerbside, on private sites, on squatted encampments and on council operated “meanwhile” sites.

Cost of living pressures, personal vulnerabilities, the kind of jobs van-dwellers do as well as it being a lifestyle choice are among the reasons given for living in a vehicle.

Bristol City Council offers 65 “meanwhile” site pitches to van dwellers across five different locations within the city. They have access to water, loos and waste disposal. The council says they act as a stable, secure base for people and it wants to increase their number.

Clifton Down is not the only place in Bristol where vehicles and caravans are used for shelter. Some 40 mobile homes, caravans and vans line New Stadium Road in the inner city Eastville neighbourhood of Bristol. Next to the M32 motorway and behind a giant Ikea store, the road was strewn with litter, flytipping and piles of rubbish.

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Councillor Barry Parsons, who chairs Bristol City Council’s Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, said the number of vehicle dwellers in the city has grown significantly in recent years and the local authority recognises the challenge this brings.

He added: “We acknowledge this is a complex situation and we want our new policy to balance offering support to vehicle dwellers, alongside considering the needs of local communities.

“It will also look to refresh the way vehicle dweller encampments are managed, providing a clearer process and explanation for when action will be taken. The emphasis will be on support and not enforcement.”

He said the council will consult people on the next steps, including potentially vulnerable vehicle dwellers, warning that would not be rushed into to ensure the safety of vehicle dwellers and allow time for local residents to have their say.

Mr Parsons said: “We know that we need to reduce the need for so many people to live in vehicles and remain committed to increasing the number of well-built, affordable homes in Bristol so people have a safe and secure place they can call home.”