Travellers on private land
We establish who owns or controls the land, whether the occupants appear to be trespassers and whether a licence, tenancy, permission or other right to occupy may exist.
Unauthorised occupation of land · England and Wales
Traveller Eviction Bailiffs & Trespasser Removal
Travellers or other trespassers on private land, a car park or commercial site? UK Bailiffs provides traveller eviction, trespasser removal and managed unauthorised encampment removal across England and Wales. We assess the authority, occupation and risks before confirming the proposed route, resources, timing and cost.
If you need bailiffs for traveller eviction or bailiffs for trespasser eviction, send us the site details and we can assess the appropriate route, resources and attendance plan.
Our operational target is initial attendance within two hours of accepting a complete instruction, subject to location, checks, agent availability and any specialist resources required.
Reviewed by Craig Whinray, Director & Certificated Enforcement Agent · 20+ years frontline enforcement · Last reviewed 7 October 2026
2-hour target
Initial attendance after an instruction
is checked and accepted
79 clearances
Recorded from 79 traveller and trespasser
instructions in the published 2026 dataset
60 on day one
Recorded clearances completed
on the first day
England & Wales
Support for landowners,
property professionals,
businesses and public bodies
Travellers or trespassers on your land now?
Speak to UK Bailiffs directly or send the site details you already have. No online eligibility test is needed before contacting us. Our team will assess the instruction and confirm the appropriate response.
Private-land traveller removal
How do I remove travellers from private land?
If travellers or other trespassers are occupying private land without permission, the first step is to establish who is entitled to possession, how the occupation began and which legal route is appropriate. There is no single process suitable for every site.
UK Bailiffs supports private landowners, businesses, managing agents, developers and public bodies that need to remove travellers, clear an unauthorised encampment or recover land from trespassers.
Before deployment we review the location, authority to act, apparent occupation status, access, numbers present, caravans and vehicles, known incidents, animals, welfare information and the outcome required.
Do not approach the encampment to collect
information for us.
Send only information already known or safely
available. Existing photographs, plans or CCTV
images can be supplied where they were obtained
safely and lawfully.
Short answer
Can bailiffs remove travellers from my land?
Enforcement agents can support the recovery of private or commercial land where the person instructing has the necessary authority and the proposed legal route is appropriate. A certificated enforcement agent does not obtain a separate special power to evict trespassers simply because they hold an enforcement certificate.
Depending on the facts, a managed common-law approach may be considered for genuine trespassers on land, while possession proceedings or another statutory process may be more appropriate where status, authority, buildings, access or risk is uncertain.
Traveller and trespasser recovery
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Traveller encampment removal from private and commercial land
The language used by a landowner can vary, but the underlying issue is usually the same: people are occupying land without the landholder's permission and possession needs to be recovered safely, proportionately and using an appropriate legal route.
Unauthorised encampment removal
Where an unauthorised traveller encampment has formed, we assess the size of the site, access, caravans, vehicles, known hazards and any circumstances affecting the proposed route.
Bailiffs to remove trespassers
Experienced enforcement agents can attend, identify themselves, communicate the landholder's position, manage the attendance and document the outcome within the authority available for the instruction.
Commercial land and car parks
Instructions commonly involve retail parks, trading estates, development land, commercial yards, vacant sites, private roads and customer car parks.
Traveller eviction planning
Agent numbers and supporting resources are based on the actual circumstances. Additional agents or specialist support are not added simply to increase the scale of an attendance.
Site recovery and handover
Once the site has been vacated, the client can move quickly to secure access, manage remaining vehicles or goods, arrange specialist cleaning and reduce the risk of reoccupation.
Strategy before strength
A proportionate team, not unnecessary escalation
Many traveller and trespasser removals are resolved through clear communication and a small experienced team.
Additional agents, recovery vehicles, security or specialist resources are introduced where the site assessment shows that they are necessary and proportionate.
Calm, clear engagement
Site-specific risk planning
Proportionate resources
Recorded decisions and outcome
Action concerns unauthorised occupation, not ethnicity or community identity. Welfare, equality, vulnerability and safeguarding information is considered within the operational assessment.
Operational sequence
How traveller eviction and trespasser removal works
The legal route and timescale depend on the land, authority, access, occupation and risks identified.
01
Assessment
Site facts, urgency, occupation and required outcome are reviewed.
02
Authority
Ownership, management authority and ability to instruct are checked.
03
Deployment
Agents, access, risk controls and resources are agreed.
04
Attendance
The landholder's position and required departure are communicated.
05
Departure
Movement from the land is monitored and managed according to the circumstances.
06
Handover
The outcome is recorded and site protection can then be implemented.
Three different timings
Attendance is not the same as departure or clearance
UK Bailiffs operates a rapid attendance service, but it is important not to confuse an attendance target with a guaranteed clearance time.
Initial attendance
Our operational target is initial attendance within two hours after a complete instruction has been reviewed and accepted. Location, availability, risk and specialist resource requirements can affect the confirmed arrival time.
Opportunity to leave
Occupants are informed of the landholder's position and the proposed route. The appropriate opportunity to leave depends on the facts at the site and the circumstances encountered.
Site clearance
Same-day clearance is often the objective, but it is not guaranteed. Refusal, additional occupants, changed circumstances, hazards or an unsuitable route can require further action.
Where occupants do not leave
What happens if travellers or trespassers refuse to leave?
Refusal does not trigger an automatic or uncontrolled escalation. The team reassesses the site and acts within the authority and limits of the instruction.
Depending on the circumstances, the next step may involve further engagement, reattendance, additional proportionate resources, police liaison where the police consider involvement appropriate, or a recommendation that possession proceedings are considered.
Dynamic risk assessment continues
throughout attendance.
Weapons, dogs, fire, sharps,
medical emergencies, increased numbers
or escalating confrontation can require
a revised plan, additional support
or withdrawal.
Published operational record
79 recorded instructions and 79 recorded clearances
The UK Bailiffs 2026 traveller and trespasser dataset records 79 instructions and 79 clearances: 60 on day one, 18 on days two or three, and one after day three.
Dataset position published 26 September 2026. Each instruction can involve different facts, legal routes, access and risks. Historic outcomes do not guarantee timing or outcome on a future instruction.
79
Recorded instructions
79
Recorded clearances
60
Cleared on day one
18
Cleared on days two or three
Operational example
Two caravans reported. Eighteen found on arrival.
A real example of why traveller removal instructions require site assessment and experienced operational judgement rather than assumptions made from the initial report.
UK Bailiffs received a call at 9:30pm reporting two caravans. Two experienced agents attended at 7:30am the following morning and found 18 caravans on site.
- Initial report: two caravans.
- Actual position on arrival: 18 caravans.
- Agents completed the on-site assessment and communicated with the occupants.
- Occupants initially stated that they would not leave.
- The process and landholder's position were explained.
- The site was cleared by approximately 12:30pm.
Why this matters:
the size and circumstances of
an unauthorised encampment can
be materially different from
the information initially reported.
Route and responsibility
The legal route depends on the facts
There is no universal process for every traveller encampment or trespass situation. Authority, land type, consent, buildings, vehicles, occupation status and risk all matter.
Managed common-law route
Depending on the circumstances, a person entitled to possession may be able to recover land from genuine trespassers without first obtaining a possession order. Suitability must be assessed against the actual facts.
Court possession route
Possession proceedings under Civil Procedure Rule Part 55 may be appropriate where status, authority, consent, access, buildings or confrontation risk makes a non-court route unsuitable.
Police and public-authority powers
Police powers may arise under sections 61 and 62A of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, while sections 77 and 78 provide separate local-authority powers. Section 60C creates a separate statutory offence in specified circumstances. UK Bailiffs does not exercise police or local-authority powers and cannot require police attendance.
Vehicles and belongings require
separate consideration.
A vehicle or item left on private land
is not automatically abandoned.
Removal, storage, notice or disposal
may require a separate legal basis
and appropriate arrangements.
Deployment and pricing
The team and cost are agreed before attendance
There is no responsible flat price for every traveller eviction or unauthorised encampment removal. The response is based on the actual location, scale and risk.
Cost can be affected by distance, urgency, number of occupants and vehicles, access, previous incidents, agent numbers, attendance duration and whether recovery vehicles, locksmiths, security or specialist contractors are required.
Before deployment we confirm the proposed route, resources, charging basis and immediate objective.
Request attendance What the guide covers
A practical route from unauthorised occupation to recovered possession
The 16-page guide explains the legal and operational considerations involved when travellers or other trespassers occupy private or commercial land, from initial assessment and authority through to attendance, clearance and site handover.
Authority to act and evidence of possession
Managed common-law recovery
Court possession routes under CPR Part 55
Police and local-authority powers
Operational risk assessment and deployment
Vehicles, caravans and belongings
Welfare, vulnerability and safeguarding
Site clearance, handover and reoccupation prevention
General information, not case-specific legal advice. The appropriate route
depends on the facts, authority, occupation status, land, access and risk.
Submission of an instruction does not itself confirm acceptance or deployment.
Related occupation and land services
Use the service that matches the situation
Not every unauthorised occupation is a traveller encampment. Different circumstances can require a different assessment or process.
Van dweller removal Occupied vans,
campervans and motorhomes
on private land
Rough sleeper removal Occupied tents and
rough sleeping on
private property
Abandoned vehicles Vehicle investigation,
notice and removal support
Illegally grazing horses Welfare-aware notice
and removal support
Site security Protect land following
traveller or trespasser clearance
K9 security Specialist site protection
where appropriately assessed
Information for Police Officers Operational context for officers attending civil trespass and private-land incidents
Torts Act support Notice and evidential support where vehicles, caravans or other goods remain after possession changes
After the occupiers leave
Clearance is only part of recovering the site
The handover should leave the client with a clear record, secure access and a plan for anything remaining on the land.
Attendance record
and operational updates
Vehicle and
belongings assessment
Needle sweep and
specialist clean-up
Locks, barriers,
boarding or shutters
Manned guarding,
K9 or patrol support
Longer-term
access prevention
Traveller eviction FAQs
Traveller, trespasser and unauthorised encampment questions
Direct answers to the questions landowners and property professionals most commonly ask when travellers or trespassers occupy private land.
How do I remove travellers from private land?
Start by establishing who is entitled
to possession, how the occupation began
and whether the occupants appear to be
genuine trespassers.
Depending on the circumstances,
a managed common-law approach may
be considered or possession proceedings
may be more appropriate.
UK Bailiffs can assess the site
information and proposed route
before an attendance is accepted.
Can bailiffs remove travellers from my land?
Enforcement agents can support
recovery of land where the person
instructing has the necessary authority
and the proposed route is appropriate.
A bailiff or enforcement-agent
certificate does not itself create
a special power to evict trespassers.
Can bailiffs remove trespassers from private property?
They can assist with recovery
of possession where the legal
basis and authority are appropriate.
The correct route depends on
the type of land, how occupation began,
whether any permission or legal right
may exist and the risks at the site.
What is unauthorised encampment removal?
Unauthorised encampment removal
describes the process of recovering
land occupied by caravans, vehicles
or other temporary accommodation
without the landholder's permission.
The legal and operational response
depends on the individual circumstances
rather than the description alone.
Can UK Bailiffs attend a traveller encampment within two hours?
Our operational target is
initial attendance within two hours
after a complete instruction has
been checked and accepted.
The confirmed arrival time remains
subject to location, agent availability,
risk assessment and any specialist
resources required.
Does two-hour attendance mean the site will be cleared in two hours?
No.
Two hours is an operational
attendance target, not a guaranteed
clearance deadline.
Departure and clearance depend
on the circumstances encountered
at the site.
Do I always need a court order to remove trespassers?
Not necessarily.
Depending on the facts,
a person entitled to possession
may be able to recover land
from genuine trespassers without
first obtaining a possession order.
Court proceedings may be appropriate
where occupation status, authority,
consent, buildings, access or
confrontation risk makes a different
route preferable.
Can I remove travellers from a commercial car park?
Potentially, yes.
Commercial car parks are a common
type of traveller and trespasser
instruction, but ownership,
management authority, site access,
occupation status and risk still
need to be assessed before the
appropriate response is confirmed.
Can vehicles or caravans simply be towed away?
No automatic assumption should be made
that a caravan or other vehicle can
simply be removed or treated as abandoned.
Vehicle removal, storage and disposal
require separate legal and practical
consideration.
What happens if the travellers refuse to leave?
The position is reassessed rather
than automatically escalated.
Depending on circumstances,
further engagement, reattendance,
additional resources, police liaison
or possession proceedings may need
to be considered.
Does UK Bailiffs remove rough sleepers?
UK Bailiffs has a separate service
for rough sleeping and occupied tents
on private or commercial property.
This allows the circumstances,
welfare considerations and operational
route to be assessed separately from
a traveller encampment.
See our rough sleeper removal service.
Does UK Bailiffs remove people living in vans or motorhomes?
Yes, but occupied vans,
campervans and motorhomes can
require a different assessment
from a conventional traveller encampment.
See our van dweller and stealth camper removal service.
How much does traveller eviction cost?
Cost depends on location,
urgency, numbers present,
access, known risks,
agent numbers, attendance duration
and any recovery, security
or specialist resources required.
UK Bailiffs confirms the proposed
response and charging basis
before deployment.
Secure online instruction
Ask us to attend site
Provide the information already known. We will review authority, apparent occupation status, the potential route, risks, resources and likely timetable before confirming whether the instruction can be accepted.
The assessment checklist above sets out the information normally required. Review the information we use to assess an instruction →
Do not approach the site to gather more information. Need to discuss urgency first? Call 0330 133 1818 or email help@ukbailiffs.org .
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Page review
Traveller & Trespasser Eviction Law guide →
Reviewed by Craig Whinray, Director & Certificated Enforcement Agent with 20+ years' frontline enforcement experience. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.
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