Dear Editor,
There has been much in the Algarve Resident about illegal camping by motorised caravans. It is important to stress that camping outside campsites IS illegal. It is also very damaging to the environment.
The people who do this are breaking the law. They are petty criminals, in the way that all those involved in anti-social behaviour, vandalism, drunken violence, illegal graffiti, whatever, are petty criminals.
Pieces in the Portuguese press over the last couple of years show how angry Portuguese people are at this illegal behaviour (and I believe the northern Europeans involved in this petty criminality would resent it happening in their home vicinity).
But all anti-social behaviour is difficult for the police to act on. It is very time-consuming, and the police and GNR have many other calls on their time. If your readers would like to take action themselves, they could take photographs of such illegal camping, preferably clearly identifying the licence number of the vehicles and their location, and send them to stopillegalcampervanning@hotmail.com.
We will forward them to the relevant authorities.
John Coston
Tavira
