Travellers 'sponge off electricity grid and water network' as village suffers blackout

The village experienced a power outage five days later, on 24 June, with residents blaming the illegal hookup.

A spokesman for the network operator said: "We were advised on June 19 of a possible unauthorised electricity connection at a site in Dunstable Road, Tilsworth."

Engineers are cooperating with police regarding the site, though the company said the power cut "was caused by a fault on the overhead network and is not believed to be linked to the site".

Illegally extracting electricity carries a potential prison sentence of up to five years.

The unauthorised encampment was erected over a single weekend, with workers arriving on Friday, June 12, timed just as council offices were closing, and laying hardcore across a field to extend an existing lawful site.

By the following Tuesday, Central Bedfordshire Council had secured a temporary stop notice demanding that all construction activity halt immediately.

Breaching such a notice is a criminal offence carrying an unlimited fine.

Despite council officials publicly maintaining that the order was being respected, local residents have consistently disputed this, insisting that building work has carried on regardless.

An investigation has been launched into a suspected unauthorised electricity connection at a traveller site (stock image)

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The revelation that an energy connection was made on June 19, three days after the stop notice, appears to support their claims.

Residents have expressed deep anger at what they see as a lack of consequences.

One homeowner told the Daily Mail: "It's a disgrace. The council issued the stop notice but the work has continued since then. They do whatever they want and get away with it."

The same resident described the power cut as "a scandal," noting that many people working from home were disrupted for roughly an hour.

He added: "Imagine if one of us did? There's no doubt it would be treated as a criminal matter."

With 19 motorhomes and caravans on the new encampment alongside 70 on the pre-existing site, locals say travellers now outnumber the village's approximately 140 households.

UK Power Networks has confirmed it is looking into the incident in Tilsworth, Bedfordshire

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Residents have also reported late-night noise, a large fire, and intimidation directed at anyone attempting to intervene.

An injunction prohibiting any further development on the site was obtained on July 3, yet neighbours maintain that activity has persisted in the weeks since.

Adding to residents' concerns, councillors are now considering a retrospective planning application for the encampment.

It has raised the possibility that it could ultimately receive official approval despite having been constructed without permission.

The Conservatives have responded by urging ministers to introduce a blanket prohibition on granting retrospective planning consent to traveller sites built unlawfully.

One villager summed up the ongoing frustration: "Last night, they were riding bikes on the site until very late. They create such a lot of noise. It's terrible."

The village experienced a power outage five days later, on 24 June, with residents blaming the illegal hookup

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A council spokesman said: "The Council is aware of reports of an unauthorised connection to the electricity infrastructure, and we've notified UK Power Networks as the relevant utility provider.

"Any investigation into the cause of the outage is a matter for UK Power Networks.

"We understand the unauthorised caravan site has caused concerns for residents in Tilsworth.

"Officers have responded quickly and treated this as a priority.

"The Council must follow the correct legal process and ensure any formal action is supported by evidence.

"A Temporary Stop Notice was served on Tuesday, June 16, requiring all further construction work to cease. The Council obtained a High Court injunction on July 3 for this site."