Abandoned caravan furthers Colchester's fly-tipping woes

The abandoned home from home was dumped in Barrack Street, Colchester, before being removed three days later.

But not before it had whipped up a storm of residents’ complaints after the eyesore plagued different locations in the town.

Pictures seen by the Gazette show curtains hanging off the wall inside the caravan and cigarettes scatted on its floor.

A cupboard door can be seen hanging off its hinges and a series of penned graffiti covers various cabinets and walls.

A No Entry sign branded ‘No Girls’ has also been scrawled on a wall while litter is abandoned at the foot of it.

Lee Scordis, Colchester councillor for Old Heath, Hythe and Rowhedge, said he raised the issue with Essex Police after being made aware of the eyesore.

He said: “As far as I’m aware, it was dumped on Barrack Street last Saturday primarily where the bus stop is.

“I reported this to the police and they were on it very quickly.

“It was moved on Wednesday morning to ensure the buses weren’t disrupted.

“People have sent me information as to who may have dumped it and I have passed this onto the police.

“They are aware and now it’s best we leave it to them to deal with.

“It’s really frustrating as we all want a clean town and for Colchester to look nice.

“People do need to take more responsibility as there is far too much fly-tipping, abandoned cars etc by bandits.”

The deserted caravan has also made an appearance as a listing on Facebook Marketplace with a price tag of £80.

A series of images shared on the listing confirm its neglected interior state.

Mr Scordis added: “Sold or dumped, we don’t know.

“We’ve only heard one side of the story and it’s important we hear both.

“It’s a bizarre situation but it’s good to see people coming together to report it.

“It shows people care about Colchester and want it to look as nice as possible.”

The owner of the caravan has been contacted by the Gazette but had not responded by the time of going to press.