Report a civil dispute
Unless a crime has been committed or someone is in immediate danger, the police are unlikely to intervene in civil disputes. However, we’ll put you in touch with the groups and organisations who can help. Complete the sentence below to get the advice you need to resolve your dispute as quickly and amicably as possible.
Advice tool
I’m having a dispute with a trespasser on my land
Initially, you should ask the occupier to leave the land. If they do, then all is well. However, you may face problems if they refuse.
You can find yourself guilty of several criminal offences if you forcibly attempt to remove the trespasser and their property from the land.
The best and safest course of action is to get a court order, which, if breached, may then turn the situation into a criminal matter.
If the police attend an incident like this, we're only allowed to observe for possible criminal offences committed by either party.
We can't help remove the trespassers or their property from your land. Although if larger groups of occupiers cause damage we do have some powers.
Who is responsible for rubbish left by trespassers?
If the trespassers were on council land, the council is responsible for removing any rubbish.
On private land it’s the landowner's responsibility to remove the rubbish, although the local council can remove it for a fee.
This information is provided courtesy of Ask the Police.