Image by: Wayne Lewis
Wealthy second home owners who fled to their seaside houses to isolate
say the abuse and attacks they receive from locals should be classed as a ‘HATE CRIME’.
Some families have ignored warnings to stay in primary residences and travelled to small towns and villagers in tourism hotspots like Cornwall.
Businessman Tony Willis was among those who left London with his family with his family from London to their holiday home in Devon before the coronavirus travel ban begun.
But he said he has been targeted by vigilantes who wrote ‘go home’ in the dirt on the rear window of his car.
A ‘threatening’ leaflet was also put on his doorstep which reiterated the message.
And Tony said the way second home owners have been targeted should be treated by police as a “hate crime.”
He bought the house in Bigbury-on-Sea in Devon around 10-years-ago and claimed he had as much right to be there as anyone else.
Tony told the BBC: “”Over the past week we have had Go Home daubed in the dirt on the back windscreen of our car, leaflets telling us to do the same and someone haranguing me to ‘Go Home’ from the street outside our house,.
“This is pure harassment and in another context would be considered a hate crime.
“Since the lockdown we decided to stay here because it would be non-essential travel to go back.
“I spend a lot of time in Devon, I carry on a business down here and my wife’s from Devon.
“We are following all the rules, we are self-isolating and we only go out when we have to for provisions.
“We love it down here and we’re not going to be run out of town by a few idiots.”
Image by: Wayne Lewis
Image by: Wayne Lewis
Image by: Wayne Lewis
Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said the behaviour was “unacceptable”.
He said: “This is a family who are probably just as frightened and concerned as everyone else.
“If they are already here we should welcome them and make them feel part of our community.
“This is not a time to turn person against person and for us in the South West to turn against the people of London or vice versa.”
Local councillor Beth Huntley said that the majority of properties in the village were holiday lets or second homes, and that most of the population there is elderly.
The member of Bigbury Parish Council said: “We hope the community is free of the virus, but every newcomer brings a threat to the older community.
“It would be lovely if people who own holiday homes stayed close to their homes.
“But I think a conciliatory approach is always a good idea.”
Several tourism bosses have urged people to stay away from the South West to stop the spread of coronavirus and protect the services from being overrun.
Malcolm Bell, head of Visit Cornwall, said: “Our advice is do not come. Moving around can easily accelerate the spread of the virus.
“That applies to people with second homes here – and to visitors who had planned a holiday.”
