FIVE years after a destitute French woman spent the winter living in Lawn Woods, rough campers from outside Swindon have returned.

The latest arrival of six tents in the picturesque Old Town park has caused unease and concern among walkers and local residents.

The tents, which were first spotted by rangers almost a month ago, are occupied by a group of homeless people, believed to be from northern England, who claim they have nowhere else to go.

Camping in Swindon’s parks in this way is against local bye laws, and despite there being no official complaints of antisocial behaviour a number of residents have raised fears that the group’s presence could be intimidating for solo walkers, particularly the elderly.

The tents are located next to the two stone buildings to the right of the main walking route from Old Town down through the park.

A spokesman for Swindon Borough Council said: “We are aware of the people sleeping in tents on the Lawns and have advised them of the housing support that is available to them.

“Unfortunately, they have declined the help that has been offered.

“We are not aware of any reports of anti-social behaviour but we will be monitoring the situation and will take the appropriate action if necessary.”

Park rangers have been speaking to the group regularly since they first arrived and have asked them to move on a number of times.

They have been provided with black bags for the storing of rubbish, notably alcohol bottles, and thus far they have been keeping the area relatively clean.

The rangers have also been checking that the group are using local conveniences to relieve themselves and not the surrounding woodland.

Despite promising to leave and being in breach of local bye laws, the group show no signs of intending to pack up camp any time soon.

The rangers say that maintaining a good relationship with them is the best option as they have no power to force them to move without a legal order.

A spokesperson for the local neighbourhood policing team said: “Swindon Borough Council are aware and we have been monitoring the situation, the persons camping have been spoken to on several occasions and the area has always been clean and free of rubbish.”

There are a number of services available to the homeless in Swindon, provided by the council as well as a number of charitable organisations such as Threshold Housing Link and the Salvation Army.

While this group would have access to services such as the breakfast club and outreach support, they may find it difficult to secure accommodation given that they would not immediately meet the requirement for a local link.

When the French woman, who asked at the time to remain anonymous, set up camp in the woods in 2011, she refused help from local agencies and made the park her home for a whole winter.

With warmer weather approaching, local residents will be hoping these latest arrivals don’t have similar ideas.