A man has scribbled messages all over his van protesting against Cornwall Council's plan to close off a layby popular with van dwellers.

Messages such as "it is illegal to signpost this land without deeds or proof of ownership" and "f**k the council" have been scrawled on the vehicle which is parked on a grass verge on Castle Drive.

When the Packet visited the site there were three camper vans parked there. 

The Packet spoke to another individual, David Holden, who also lives in the layby in a different van. He said that Cormac has threatened to come to the site this week with police officers to close it off and move the camper vans on.

Mr Holden said: "Nobody here really does anything wrong, they're just trying to get on with their lives.

"It's a nice tucked-away place. The thing is the council don't like people living in vans because they're not paying [rates]. They can make the same choice.

"I thought it was a free country but all they do is police everything, restrict everything to death until you can't live this way or that way.

"You should be able to do what you want to do. People constantly go by and call me a gypsy, pikey and that sort of thing. They know nothing about you. They're not willing to talk to you."

David works doing house removals and says that he chose to live in a van to save on paying rent.

He added: "They can try and put restrictions here but it's just a pointless act. It's a waste of time and money."

In August the Packet reported that the police had "no lines of enquiry" after a yellow line was painted over in the layby.

A council spokesperson said this week: "We’ve responded to requests from local residents to limit parking here by introducing parking restrictions which apply from midnight to 6am.

"Unfortunately, the lines were subsequently painted over and the signs which we put in place were removed.

"Measures to reinstate the lining and signs and making them less prone to vandalism are being taken so that the parking restriction can be enforced once more.

Edit: This article has been amended to clarify that David Holden, the man quoted, is not the owner of the van pictured.