The council says that individual landowners are responsible for taking action to remove trespassers
17:48, 15 Oct 2025Updated 18:02, 15 Oct 2025
Caravans at B&Q in Cribbs Causeway.(Image: BristolLive)
Shoppers were turned away from B&Q at Cribbs Causeway after dozens of caravans set up camp.
Travellers moved onto the car park after dark on Tuesday (October 14) and on Wednesday morning shop bosses decided not to open up – now bailiffs have been called.
B&Q has confirmed to shoppers that it’s “still closed this evening and is not sure when it will reopen”. In a statement to BristolLive this evening, it said click and collect services remained available.
A spokesperson said: ““We can confirm that there has been unauthorised access to the Cribbs Causeway store car park. Click and collect services remain available from the store which is otherwise temporarily closed. We are continuing to work to resolve the situation.”
One shopper, who arrived to buy paint late on Wednesday morning, said: “The shop staff just said it was closed for the foreseeable.
“They had a load of security guards there too and would only open the door a crack.
“Apparently the caravans all turned up last night – there must be about 25 to 30 of them.
“The security reckoned there were about 115 people there.”
Following the caravans’ Tuesday night arrival, police descended on the site.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Police were made aware of an unauthorised encampment in the car park of a DIY store on Lysander Road, Patchway, at about 9.30pm on Tuesday, October 14.
“Officers attended and spoke with store staff and some of the people from the caravans.
“Bailiffs for the landowner have today (Wednesday, October 15) served notice to leave. Officers are maintaining contact with both the store and the encampment.”
A South Gloucestershire Council spokesperson said the council did not have any comment to make about the encampment.
Under council processes, landowners are responsible for taking action to remove trespassers when unauthorised encampments occur on private land.
The council can offer landowners “information and advice” but landowners must start the removal process by either reporting the presence of unauthorised encampments to the police or applying for a court order granting possession of land.
Police have powers to move trespassers along if: a senior officer reasonably believes that two or more people are trespassing on land with the purpose of residing there, the occupier has taken reasonable steps to ask them to leave, and any of the trespassers has caused damage, disruption, or distress or the trespassers have six or more vehicles on the land between them.