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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
World
Ed Cullinane & Anita McSorley & John Bett

Man squatting on village farm blocked in by rotten silage bales after nasty battle with locals

A man squatting on an 'empty' farm, who has been locked in a bitter battle with locals, has now been blocked in with rotting silage.

Neil Parker, a former nurse, describes himself as a "land pirate". He moved into the farm in a Welsh village, which he insists was "abandoned" around a year ago.

But the community has since taken issue with Mr Parker, aged in his 60s, and one farming family have staked a claim on his new home, Mirror UK reports.

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Things have started to escalate and Mr Parker claims one local has moved his car, caravan and other property, as well as blocked access with 20 bales of raw silage.

For years, Mr Parker has been building a database of hundreds of derelict buildings with no legal owner which he says the British public could legally reclaim.

His website reads like a manifesto for squatters and 'land pirates' and explains exactly what the public needs to do to take adverse possession of a property.

Mr Parker said: "My position is very clear. If they have no proof of ownership, then I don't intend to leave. Their interest in this land only seems to have been sparked by my presence.

"In the absence of evidence, they seem to think that force and bullying will achieve the desired result."

Days after he took possession of the land, he says he was confronted by a farmer.

The owner of a nearby farm told Cambrian News that Mr Parker had caused "misery" for her and the village.

One local presented a will from 1969 that states the land was left to them by their grandfather.

But Mr Parker says it is not evidence of ownership – and claims that the family hasn't processed the necessary documentation with the Land Registry.

He claims he was subjected to a campaign of intimidation from locals in the village – with horns being sounded as cars drove by and strangers filming him and abusing him as he worked on the land.

Mr Parker says he had a year of being "essentially undisturbed" until a local farmer tried to evict him.

He said: "Without any warning, he removed a caravan, car and other property — causing criminal damage, and blocked any access with 20 bales of rotten silage.

"The farmer would get irritable very quickly and was obviously very unhappy – and to be fair they think they're being deprived of something, so it's not unreasonable.

"But I make it clear to landowners to go and get legal advice because what I'm doing is well within the law.

"People need land and people need properties and those who own them need to be prepared to do the work and put effort into deriving societal benefit from them.

"The reason the adverse possession statute remains is to allow people to take over bits of land that have been abandoned and for good reason – it's there for a purpose."

Mr Parker has the eventual goal of clearing the area to plant trees.

According to the UK Land Registration Act 2002, an unlisted site can fall into someone's possession after 12 years if they can demonstrate they are present and working on the land.

Squatting entails residing on the land.

A member of the family that say they own the farm says she is in the process of registering the land and slammed delays at the UK Land Registry.­

She said: "We are extremely disappointed that this individual has inflicted so much unnecessary stress on us as a family, when we are the lawful owners of the land.

"The land was inherited to me from my grandfather and has been part of our family for generations.

"It may be unregistered but the title deeds are firmly within our possession.

"We urge all landowners to be extra vigilant of individuals like Mr Parker, who have no moral conscience and will exploit legal loopholes to gain possession of property which is rightly owned by law-abiding citizens."

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