Boasting a wildflower meadow filled with common orchids, a gentle stream and an abundance of wildlife, Mowbray Fields nature reserve is usually an oasis of calm and tranquillity.
The five-and-a-half acre spot, which separates the southern fringes of Didcot with the chocolate box village of East Hagbourne in Oxfordshire, is the perfect spot for dog-walkers, cyclists and ramblers out for a countryside stroll.
That was until the middle of last week when a convoy of travellers broke onto the land and pitched up camp.
Their intent was clear from the start, say locals, who reported how the interlopers wound down car windows as they arrived shouting 'Lock your doors…the gypsies are here!'
The nature reserve had not been targeted before and so their arrival caused something of a shockwave.
