Threat to sell Yorkshire land to ‘traveller families for pittance’

James and Naomi Miller have accused some residents of being racist after police were called to reports that the family’s quad bike was being driven illegally through the village of Tunstall, near Richmond.

The couple are facing legal action from North Yorkshire Council after fencing off a corner of a field outside the village and installing a mobile home, a caravan and two sheds on the plot.

The Millers, who have Romani heritage but say their families have lived in Skipton for five generations, purchased the land earlier this year and moved onto the site with their two adult sons.

In a post on social media following the incident on Wednesday, the couple said they wanted to let the people know who called police that no action was taken as the quad was road legal with insurance and road tax.

The couple say there “must be ten quads a day” which drive through the village but do not get reported to the police.

They add: “Yous are wasting your racist time; we are here to stay, we are going nowhere.

“We are Yorkshire bred and born. We are not travellers. Ask Richmond the difference. They have just had to endure them on car parks — that’s not us. We own our land and we’re decent Yorkshire people.”

The couple have previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that they aware local residents think they was building a traveller site on the field, which they have called Miller’s Meadow.

The couple have said they are very community-focussed and just want to be left alone to live in peace.

They added in this week’s social media post: “I keep telling you, keep on and I will sell this land to 20 traveller families for a pittance, and then maybe youse will see the difference between us and what you say we are.”

The post adds that the couple run three successful businesses.

It adds: “It took six months to do this, not a bank holiday weekend. This is our home bought and payed for and yes I pay more in tax a year than a lot of youse will earn.”

North Yorkshire councillor for the Upper Dales, Yvonne Peacock, confirmed that the authority was taking legal action over the land.

“The council is taking enforcement and I am working closely with the planning authorities and the local parish council,” she added.

North Yorkshire Council said it did not comment on ongoing cases.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted North Yorkshire Police for comment on its response.