‘Nothing I can do’: Mystery caravan appeared in this garden and never left

A mysterious caravan that appeared behind a man’s home nearly two years ago has become a neighbourhood headache.

Colin Taylor returned from a holiday in September 2024 to find the van parked beside his garage in Golborne, England’s northwest, with a stranger staying inside.

Taylor learned the stranger had recently split from his wife and needed somewhere to stay while he got back on his feet. It was agreed he could remain there a few weeks, the Manchester Evening News reported.

However, the “few” weeks have never ended with the arrangement dragging on much longer than Taylor ever expected.

Taylor, 58, claims the original owner has since moved on, with a revolving door of people living in the caravan. Late-night visitors leading some neighbours to feel uneasy.

“People would come and go to the side of the caravan. You start wondering what’s going on,” he told the outlet.

“My grandkids used to come out and kick the ball around, but now you don’t know who’s about.”

Taylor claims he has repeatedly contacted both Wigan Council and Greater Manchester Police over the issue to no avail.

While the caravan is currently sitting empty, Taylor said the nightmare is far from over, with no clear path to having it removed from the property.

The local council has reportedly told residents that any removal costs would need to be covered by the owner of the land where the caravan is parked.

That land belongs to 81-year-old resident Beryl Crellin, affectionately known by neighbours as Carol, who says she has no intention of footing the bill.

“How can they charge me when it’s not my caravan?” she told the outlet.

Crellin says she wants no part in the dispute, explaining that she didn’t want to be involved at her age.

“They shouldn’t have put that caravan there without asking,” she said. “That’s the annoying part about it.”

Meanwhile, Taylor said some locals had jokingly suggested pushing the caravan down the street themselves, though he fears that could come back to bite him.

“If it gets dumped somewhere else, I’ll probably end up getting blamed for it,” he added.