He fears for his family’s safetyPete Gavan Senior Editor and SWNSFilipaGaspar (Filipa Gaspar)
08:03, 29 Aug 2025
Campaigner Tony Nelson
The man leading the campaign against Bristol’s ‘van dwellers’ says he fears for the safety of his family – and that he could be attacked or even stabbed.
Tony Nelson is the figurehead behind ‘Protect the Downs’ group calling for vehicles to be removed from their local public green space.
More than 600 people live in vans and caravans on road sides in Bristol – with a large portion based on or near the Clifton Downs.
Tensions have risen with locals – with one van burned down in a suspected arson attack this week.
Dad and husband Tony, an engineer, said he has seen online comments from people intent or targeting him and his family.
But he says he would “take a swing”, “spit” or a “stab” for his group’s cause.
He was recently “attacked” during a filming on the BBC when a camera was was also struck by a van-dweller.
Van dwellers parked up in Bristol
The man accused Mr Nelson of spreading “hate and violence” against van-dwellers, and said the two groups were “well past talking to each other” before reportedly pushing him.
Following the altercation, Mr Nelson said this was the first time he was attacked and has left him worrying for the safety of his family and friends.
But he says not be concerned about his own safety – adding that he would “take a swing”, “spit” or a “stab” for this campaign.
Mr Nelson reiterates that his campaign group is not against van-dwellers – but against those “trying to claim” the park.
When asked how it felt to have been attacked on TV, Mr Nelson, 52, said: “It leaves an impact and makes me worry about the safety of my family and my friends. It doesn’t really worry me.
“There is other threatening behaviour which I have reported to the police.
“Online threats saying ‘let’s find out where these people live’, ‘let’s go to their house’, ‘let’s take them down a peg or two’.”
He added: “I can’t afford to get overly concerned and frankly, if someone hurts me, it’s simply going to prove that we’re right. I’m used to putting my body on the line. It doesn’t bother me.
“If I have to do it in this cause, if it helps people, get the help they really need – then I’m willing to put my body on the line for that.
“And if somebody decides they want to take a swing at me, or spit at me, or try and stab me, then fine, that’s what has to be done.”
There are over 600 people living in vans in Bristol amid spiralling rental costs and a homelessness crisis.
Despite several van dwellers stating that living in caravans is their only option, Mr Nelson believes it’s a ‘lifestyle’ choice.
He said that residents have complained with litter, noise and anti-social behaviour outside their properties. Mr Nelson added: “You don’t have to live in a park and you don’t have to live on the street and outside someone’s house.
“Why have you chosen to impact someone else? A lot of people use the housing thing as an excuse. There are other places to go. For most people in the world they have to commute.
“If I can’t afford a car I have bought a bike – and I have done this. I can’t live where I want to live there are other places where I have had to live where I could afford and I’ve just commuted in and that’s how the real world works.
“Littering is a colossal problem. This is a protected environment and this is where people come to relax and to take that away from Bristolians we think is unreasonable. There is no excuse for it, there are other places to go.
“We need to protect this environment. We know that there are other parts of Bristol where they are having the exact same issues.”
On June 12, around 300 members of campaign group Protect The Downs held a protest walk in the area with the aim of getting the encampment removed.
Mr Nelson says the group “is not against” vehicle dwellers but again people who are “trying to claim the parks”.
He added: “We are not against vehicle dwellers we are against people who decide that they are trying to claim our parks for their own residents, that they are trying to park outside your house and then leave in your street and use your garden as a toilet.
“Imagine you are starting your day, you’re a nurse, a police officer, a teacher and you start your day by looking out your front window to someone who has decided that they have got a right to live a couple of meters outside your house.
“And then in the winter when it gets cold they are just going to spark up their generator and all the generator fumes are gonna come wafting into your house.”
Mr Nelson has called for the council to use its powers to remove vans and those living in them. He wants the council to help those who need it, and move others on.
“We know that there are responsible vehicle dwellers, we know there are people trying to get on the housing ladder but you don’t have to do it at the expense of a park or someone’s wellbeing because you are living outside their house,” he added.
“I want to make sure that the people on the vans who are really vulnerable the council can find them and support them and that’s not happening because lots of people choosing this as a lifestyle choice.
“There are people out there who really need help and they are not getting it – this is council incompetence.”
Thousands of pounds have been raised by ‘Protect the Downs’ in a fundraiser in response to the rise of people living in vehicles on Clifton Downs.
The fundraiser was quietly set up earlier this year and has raised over £7,000.
They say they are raising money to help fund legal advice and potential action, hold decision-makers to account, environmental investigations like water and soil testing, campaign material and marketing and admin fees.
However, the group say that if they do not reach their target of £12,000, they will instead “prioritise the most urgent actions” like legal letters and expert reports.
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.
The council has said it is choosing not to move van dwellers but will be offering them council-provided pitches on temporary “meanwhile sites” which will offer basic amenities like water and waste disposal for a fee.