‘THE battle of Tremain’: A self-described ‘land pirate’ who took over a seemingly abandoned property and plot of land next to the A487 is locked in a fierce dispute with a farming family that claims ownership.

Ex-Bronglais Hospital nurse Neil Parker has for years been building an impressive database of hundreds of derelict buildings, mostly in Ceredigion, with no legal owner which he says the public could legally reclaim.

His website reads like a manifesto for burgeoning squatters and land pirates — and he explains exactly what the public needs to do to take adverse possession of a property.

After years of research, in April last year, he occupied the patch of land and has maintained a presence there ever since — drawing furious objection from a neighbouring farmer who claims the land belongs to her family.

“My position is very clear. If they have no proof of ownership, then I don’t intend to leave,” he said. “Their interest in this land only seems to have been sparked by my presence.

"In the absence of evidence, they seem to think that force and bullying will achieve the desired result (of getting rid of me).”

He says he was confronted by a short-tempered farmer days after he took possession of the land. The owner of nearby Palle Farm told the Cambrian News that Mr Parker had caused ‘fear and misery’ for her and the village.

A family member of hers presented a will from 1969 that included the land as something to be passed down to a family member. But Mr Parker says this is not evidence of ownership – and the family doesn’t appear to have processed the necessary documentation with the Land Registry.

For some weeks after, he claims he was subjected to a campaign of intimidation from villagers – with horns being sounded as cars drove by and strangers filming him and abusing him as he worked on the land, he claims.

Then, after nearly a year of being ‘essentially undisturbed’, Mr Parker said: “Without any warning he removed a caravan, car and other property — causing criminal damage, and blocked any access with 20 bales of rotten silage.

“The farmer would get irritable very quickly and was obviously very unhappy – and to be fair they think they’re being deprived of something, so it’s not unreasonable. But I make it clear to landowners to go and get legal advice because what I’m doing is well within the law.”

The threats from the farmer continued last week, he said. But for Mr Parker, this is a battle of principles and beliefs.

“People need land and people need properties and those who own them need to be prepared to do the work and put effort into deriving societal benefit from them,” he said. “The reason the adverse possession statute remains is to allow people to take over bits of land that have been abandoned and for good reason – it’s there for a purpose.”

For years he saw no signs of any use as the unattended land became increasingly taken over by foliage.  

After retiring a couple of years ago, he decided to put all his years of research into action and purchased the land registry documents for the site and the surrounding enclosures.  

He looked at Google Earth archives which date back to 2005, carefully analysing old satellite imagery. Still, they revealed no signs of use. 

So, he brought a caravan and parked it by the site and began to hack away at the weeds and plants that had been left to wreak havoc – with the eventual goal of clearing the area to plant trees. 

According to the Land Registration Act 2002, an unlisted site can fall into someone’s possession after 12 years if they can demonstrate they are present and working on the land. This is distinct from squatting which entails residing on the land.  

The farmer claims she is in the process of registering the land and slammed delays at the Land Registry.­

Member of the family, Rhodri Donne said: “We are extremely disappointed that this individual has inflicted so much unnecessary stress on us as a family, when we are the lawful owners of the land.

"The land was inherited to me from my grandfather and has been part of our family for generations. It may be unregistered but the title deeds are firmly within our possession.

"We urge all landowners to be extra vigilant of individuals like Mr Parker, who have no moral conscience and will exploit legal loopholes to gain possession of property which is rightly owned by law abiding citizens.”