Naked men shower in Portchester street as residents left 'living in fear' of Wicor Rec traveller encampment

Residents say that the trouble started after more than 25 vehicles – including 15 caravans – arrived on Wicor Recreation Ground on Thursday, August 6, with a spate of anti-social behaviour over the next five days.

As temperatures soared last Friday, one resident of the Southfields estate woke up to discover an outdoor communal water-pipe being used by two naked men – showering themselves using a hose taken from a neighbouring property.

The resident, who asked not be named, said: ‘No one needs to look out their front window and see grown men showering naked.

‘I have no objections to people using water to drink – it was hot. But they were taking liberties.

‘People tried to go out to stop them and they were met with threats and abuse.

‘When the police arrived, they told them it was council water.

‘It seemed to be the same small group of people causing the issues.’

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The water-pipe continued to attract groups of between two and 12 men to strip down and wash over the next four days, sometimes congregating for four hours during the evenings.

Another resident confronted the group about their behaviour but said they then threatened to attack his girlfriend.

The 43-year-old, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I went out there and said, ‘can you put some clothes on?’.

‘They followed my girlfriend in her car when she went to the gym and tried to force her off the road. We were living in fear.’

On Tuesday night, AFC Portchester’s football stadium next to the recreation ground suffered a break-in – with hundreds of pounds of sports equipment taken and human excrement smeared on sports clothing left behind, according to a spokesman from the club.

He said: ‘It’s just disgusting – what can you say?’

Abuse hurled at staff members came from a minority of people in the encampment, according to the spokesman: ‘It was only a minority that were vile to us – but they were vile.’

Fareham Borough Council leader Sean Woodward said the recreation ground had been left in ‘an absolutely disgusting’ state – despite the council providing portaloos and bin bags for human waste.

He said: ‘Our staff have the most appalling job cleaning up even though there were provisions to minimise human waste being left behind.

‘There is huge frustration that people can move on to public land and not be removed quickly.

‘I have been campaigning for the last 15 years for trespassing to become a criminal offence. Then the police could act even quicker.’

On Tuesday, Hampshire Constabulary authorised a section 61 order, which allowed the police to move on the encampment after a series of anti-social behaviour complaints.

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