Residents in a picturesque village have accused police of 'aiding and abetting' a group of travellers after they turned up, paved over a field and blocked a country road until 4am on Easter weekend. 

The family descended on Sundridge, in Kent's stockbroker belt, under the cover of darkness on Friday, using diggers and machinery to convert the green space into a hardstand caravan site. 

But their plans came to a temporary halt on Sunday when a three-bedroom static caravan loaded onto a lorry became wedged in a major country lane in the village, infuriating locals who couldn't get past. 

Fuming residents called the police and went out onto the road in an attempt to block any vehicles getting access to the field - leading to one local being arrested. 

They claimed that instead of forcing the stuck lorry to turn back, police 'aided and abetted' the travellers in their move - leaving the vehicle blocking the road until 4am on Monday. 

John Evans, chairman of Sundridge with Ide Hill Parish Council, told the Daily Mail: 'The entire village have had their Easter weekend ruined. We had better things to do than this. 

'The police aided and facilitated a totally illegal operation, and then they threatened us with obstruction.'    

Although the family bought the plot of land at auction last October, they never received planning permission to turn the landscape into a paved caravan site, it is understood. 

'There is one law for them and another law for us,' Mr Evans said. 

'I phoned 101 the moment the first lorry went up there. I was told it's not really an emergency - there's nothing we can do.

'They [the travellers] proceeded to bulldoze up that road, cutting people's trees.' 

The field, which sits at the junction of Penn Lane and Church Road, is said to have been sold at auction last year to Miles Martin Connors. 

Sevenoaks District Council confirmed the family who moved onto the land legally own it. 

On Tuesday night, the council issued a Temporary Stop Notice (TSN) - a planning enforcement tool used to halt unauthorized developments. The travellers would now have to apply for retrospective planning permission, it is understood.  

One woman who lives in the town described the entire ordeal as a 'bloody nuisance', saying the family's arrival and the blocked road ruined people's Easter weekend.

Another local, whose house of 24 years looks directly onto the new caravan site, said it has 'totally' ruined his countryside view and he fears the value of his home will decrease.

'I feel horrible. I think it is absolutely disgraceful what's happened,' he said.

'My house is such that I'm totally overlooked. For me to get privacy back, I'd have to put a fence up somewhere between 10 and 15ft, which is not legal.'

The homeowner claimed it is near 'impossible' to get planning permission for any work in the village, where homes often sell for upwards of £2million.

'My neighbour next to me, the previous owner, tried to just get permission for a sun house. It was not granted. We can't do any developing, it's impossible basically,' he said.

'But they can come and destroy an area.'

He added the deer and pheasants he used to enjoy photographing will no longer visit the field, which used to provide a stunning view from his windows.

The resident claimed the travellers were 'helped' by police while stuck on Sunday, adding: 'The way things have been dealt with, not only by the local police, to say they helped them is an understatement.

'The whole situation, we've been fobbed off.'

Describing his new view, he said: 'They left a row of trees, but you can see there's a small caravan, you can see two thirds of the static, and you can see the other mobile home.

'I think they should be moved on, because it is an area of national beauty, it is an area that is supposed to be not developed, and there was no planning permission.'

Judy Jarvis, who has lived in Sundridge for 30 years, said: 'We were just appalled to hear what was going on.

'It's awful because there should not be houses there. It's not just a fun weekend caravan - it's [like] a house.'

She added: 'It really did upset us, because we were up and down the road, and then of course they couldn't get up the road - the police had to help them. It was so big the police had to help them.'

On Wednesday, the new owner could be seen working to flatten the hard base laid down at the weekend. The field, which has a water standpipe and electrical supply, had also been cleared of trees and foliage.

Next to a static home on the site stands two large Calor gas bottles for cooking and heat, alongside a digger.

Another homeowner, who lives close to the site, said the travellers have 'caused a lot of distress to local residents'. 

They added: 'We just have to wait and see what happens now, it's in the hands of the council.

'The police didn't do a good job at all, they were almost escorting the whole thing.

'There were people with chain saws on top of vans chopping down branches so they could get through - it was all a real mess.

'We all have to abide by planning laws and regulations wherever we are, so for someone just to rush over all of that is not right.'

Locals feel frustrated they are unable to alter their own homes without extensive planning - struggling to get persimmon for new hedges, fences and home extensions - while a field nearby has been 'destroyed'. 

At the nearby Cock Inn, one elderly villager said: 'Personally I have nothing against travellers but I do have a problem with people who don't abide by the law.

'I think its quite clear they have used the Easter weekend to move in because they know the local authorities are powerless to stop it.'

A spokesperson for Sevenoaks District Council said: 'Our officers visited the site on several occasions over the bank holiday weekend as part of our response to the alleged planning breach.

'We are continuing to investigate and visited the site again this morning (Tuesday 7 April) and will be serving a Temporary Stop Notice before the end of today.

'We are considering the other legal and enforcement options open to us, and we are waiting on external legal advice, which will influence our next steps.

'One family has moved onto the site, which they own, and enforcement action will be proportionate to any breach, taking account of Government guidance and legislation as well as local planning policies.'

Laura Trott, MP for Sevenoaks and shadow education secretary, previously condemned the council for failing to take immediate action.

A Kent Police spokesperson said on Tuesday: 'Kent Police was called to New Road in Sundridge near Sevenoaks shortly after 8am on Sunday 5 April 2026 to reports of a HGV becoming stuck and blocking the road.

'Patrols attended and discovered several cars were blocking the HGV, so the road was closed for officers to manage the situation.

'A man in his 40s refused to follow police instructions and was arrested for obstructing a police officer. He was later released pending further enquiries.

'Officers issued the driver of the lorry a traffic offence report for failing to have a tachograph installed. The driver of another vehicle was also issued a traffic offence report for careless driving.

'The road was cleared at around 4.30pm.'