Moment furious Bristol van dweller attacks BBC camera crew as tensions flare with locals who are demanding encampment of 100 vehicles is removed

A Bristol van dweller attacked a BBC camera crew in a fit of rage as tensions flare up in Bristol who are demanding an encampment of some 100 vehicles is removed.

The man aggressively approached a reporter who was interviewing a local resident and began shouting, before taking a swing at the camera and ‘striking’ it.

For months locals in the Downs area of Bristol have been complaining about dozens of caravans parked up on public roads in which people are living and have accused the council of not taking action fast enough.

There had already been a series of incidents, some violent, including a caravan being set on fire, smashed windows and objects thrown.

But tensions escalated even further on Thursday ahead of a planned protest by residents which saw 300 people turn up.

While BBC reporter Hannah Miller was interviewing Tony Nelson, the founder of Protect the Downs, a group whose aim is to have the caravans and vans removed, a man approached and appeared to square up to the interviewee.

Approaching the group from across the street, a man was heard shouting: ‘I want a word with you actually. I thought it was you.’ 

He added: ‘You’re part of the Downs Committee thing, aren’t you? Protect the Downs.’

The man aggressively approached a reporter who was interviewing a local resident and began shouting, before taking a swing at the camera and ‘striking’ the cameraman 

BBC reporter Hannah Miller was interviewing Tony Nelson (pictured), the founder of Protect the Downs, at the time of the incident

The BBC reported that the man ‘struck’ their cameraman in the attack, which also saw him grab a microphone out of the reporter’s hands

A van dweller remonstrates with protestors during last night’s march, which 300 people attended

Mr Nelson replied: ‘Yeah, and we tend to just talk, not shout.’ 

The man then walked into shot and straight up to Mr Nelson, shouting: ‘No we don’t, not anymore. 

‘The amount of hate and violence your group is causing up here.’

Mr Nelson said: ‘Did you come here to just shout at me?’

The man replied: ‘Yes, I did.’ While the reporter stands by, appearing somewhat bemused, Mr Nelson said: ‘So do you want me to just shout back?’

The exchange continues with Mr Nelson asking the man if they could ‘talk like adults’, and being told: ‘You’re past that, mate. Well past that.’ 

After not getting the reaction he was looking for, the man then suddenly turns and grabs the reporter’s microphone, saying: ‘Get that out my face.’ 

There is then a scuffle partially recorded as the man appears to attack the cameraman. 

The man is also alleged to have pushed Mr Nelson. 

It comes after a long-running feud between van dwellers themselves, as well as with local people.

In February, one van was destroyed in a fire which is believed to have been arson.

For months locals in the Downs area of Bristol have been complaining about dozens of caravans parked up on public roads in which people are living

There are believed to be 680 van dwellers around the city of Bristol, according to the local council

Approximately 107 people are living in the encampment on the Downs

At a community protest last night, residents walked across the Downs and heard speeches

It is estimated that around 300 residents turned up in Clifton, Bristol

Whole families, including dogs and children, were in attendance

One member of the caravan community described how he heard rustling and when he looked outside his window he saw the caravan on fire.

He said: ‘There were flames from the caravan and the fire went on for a good 15 minutes. I knew nobody was inside but there were gas bottles which went, ‘Bang, bang”.

Bristol, deemed the most expensive place to rent outside London, has seen a rapid rise in the number of vehicle dwellers since 2020.

The council estimates there are up to 680 vehicles being lived in across Bristol at locations including land next to the M32, Fishponds and The Downs. 

Around 107 people are thought to be living on the Downs, making it the largest encampment in the city. 

Residents in Bristol who face the influx of van dwellers have previously told about suspected thefts, drug use and intimidation. 

Vehicle dwellers have acknowledged there is a mixed group of people – ranging from professionals and academics to those with substance abuse – and that not everyone treats the area with respect. 

Bristol City Council says it has received in excess of 1,500 complaints and reports relating to encampments, relating to littering, looking unsightly, blocked pavements, feeling threatened and anti-social behaviour.

But it has found some reports include hate speech and ‘othering’, said to contribute to prejudice against vehicle dwelling communities.

After the incident with the van resident, Mr Nelson told the BBC: ‘People really feel very strongly about the council’s inaction, their permissiveness, their saying ‘it’s OK to come and trash our parks’.

‘People are fed up with that. I don’t know if it’s council incompetence or whatever.’

In February, a caravan was burnt to the ground in the Downs in what is thought to have been arson 

The blaze completely destroyed the vehicle, which was fortunately empty at the time

A petition calling for the encampment to be removed has received more than 7,500 signatures. 

Photos from yesterday’s protest showed hundreds of people amassing on the Downs from all age groups.

Organisers told attendees in advance: ‘Show up for the Bristol Downs and your fellow Bristolians and help us preserve this beautiful space for generations to come. Share the event far and wide. There are many thousands of Bristolians who don’t know how they can help. This is how. Spread the message. The tide is turning.

‘This historic parkland is being destroyed by an unacceptable proliferation of vans, vehicles and caravan dwellings. Tens of thousands hard hard-working citizens of Bristol no longer feel safe enjoying this vast open parkland. 

‘Once the jewel of Bristol. This land is being usurped by individuals taking public parkland for themselves. A council too inept to uphold basic law and order.

‘The fight is just beginning.’

Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, released a lengthy statement on Thursday, in which he acknowledged the ‘complex situation’ facing the city.

He said: ‘Our latest estimates are that there’s between 640 to 680 lived-in vehicles and caravans on the kerbside, on private and council sites, with some squatting on land in parts of the city. 

‘This figure doesn’t include the number of transient Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups who visit the city throughout the year – and this is a group of people who we can expect to see more of during the next few months as we’re now into the summer season.

‘While people living in vehicles and caravans are spread across our city, we recognise that the size and concentration of the group bordering The Downs is larger than all other encampments.’

He added: ‘We’re taking proactive steps to apply for an injunction for the grassed areas of The Downs and Ladies Mile, which if secured, will allow officers to move vehicles that pitch up more quickly than usual.’