By Nick Fagge For Mailonline

Published: 12:52 EDT, 28 March 2019 | Updated: 12:53 EDT, 28 March 2019

A band of French travellers has set up camp a stone's throw from Windsor Castle.

The 50-strong community of travellers say they are on holiday in the UK and have come to the Royal town to see the famous sights, their spokesman told MailOnline.

But their arrival last Friday sparked chaos with parking attendants told not to issue tickets for fear of reprisals.

A band of French travellers has set up camp a stone's throw from Windsor Castle (right)

The 50-strong community of travellers say they are holiday in the UK and have come to the Royal town to visit the famous castle, their spokesman told MailOnline. Pictured: Two of the men using an angle-grinder

But their arrival last Friday sparked chaos with parking attendants told not to issue tickets for fear of reprisals

Members of an extended French family pitched up in Alexandra Gardens - less than half a mile from the Queen’s official weekend residence - on Friday night. 

Their 11-caravan cortege has overwhelmed a car park with chairs, tables and cooking stoves spread across the tarmac. Their bed-clothes were left out to air in the afternoon sunshine.

The travellers, who are from north and north-eastern France, insist they do not plan to exercise their right as EU citizens to work while they are in the UK.

‘We are here on holiday,’ Sam Dameter, the leader, told MailOnline. ‘We have come to Windsor to see the famous castle. It’s beautiful, no?

‘We are all from the same family and are from across France – Lille, Strasbourg - all over. We are travellers, we travel a lot.

‘We are not here for work, it’s just a holiday. There is nothing more to it than that.’

Their arrival has caused chaos for Windsor’s parking attendants who have been instructed not to issue tickets to the travellers’ vehicles for fear of attack.

‘There’s nothing we can do,’ one parking warden, who asked not to be identified, told MailOnline.

‘They arrived on Friday night and took over the car park. The police spoke to them and have told us not to do anything.

Members of two extended French families pitched up in Alexandra Gardens - less than half a mile from the Queen’s official weekend residence - on Friday night

Their 11-caravan cortege has overwhelmed a car park with chairs, tables and cooking stoves spread across the tarmac. Their bed-clothes were left out to air in the afternoon sunshine

The travellers, from north and north-eastern France, insist they do not plan to exercise their right as EU citizens to work while they are in the UK. ‘We are here on holiday,’ Sam Dameter, the leader, told MailOnline. ‘We have come to Windsor to see the famous castle. It’s beautiful, no?'

‘We cannot issue tickets to any of their cars or their caravans. If we do we could be attacked.’

Traveller Pedro Pourado, a second hand car dealer, declined to say how long the band intend to stay in Windsor.

But he added: ‘We’d be honoured if the Queen invited us for tea.’

Majestic Windsor Castle can be seen from the caravan windows and open doors.

Another member of the group questioned why the British were so against them being there.

He asked: ‘Why are the British racist against travellers? We are the same as everyone else. If you cut our skin we bleed red blood just like you.’

The children were playing calmly and their mothers were cleaning their caravans when MailOnline visited the camp on Wednesday afternoon.

Cauldrons propped on gas stoves were cooking soup while men worked with electric tools.

Litter had been tidied away into black bin bags and left by rubbish bins. The area around the caravans had been freshly swept.

However residents have complained that the travellers have left the site strewn with litter.

Their arrival has caused chaos for Windsor’s parking attendants who have been instructed not to issue tickets to the travellers’ vehicles for fear of attack. ‘There’s nothing we can do,’ one parking warden, who asked not to be identified, told MailOnline

Children were playing calmly and their mothers were cleaning their caravans when MailOnline visited the camp on Wednesday afternoon. Litter had been tidied away into black bin bags and left by rubbish bins. The area around the caravans had been freshly swept

However residents have complained that the travellers have left the site strewn with litter. One told MailOnline: ‘Food, cans, etc, are strewn all over the car park. It's an absolute disgrace'

One told MailOnline: ‘Food, cans, etc, are strewn all over the car park. It's an absolute disgrace.

‘Bin liners of rubbish look as though they have been ripped open by foxes during the night.

‘Chairs, tables, children’s buggies, cooking equipment has been just left out in the car park.' 

Last night Windsor and Maidehead Rough Borough council said they were working to dismantle the gypsy camp as soon as possible.

A spokeswoman from the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead said they were aware of the trouble the illegal encampment was causing.

'We have done everything within our powers to move this encampment along: we have served notices to them requiring them to leave the site. 

'We have also instructed our legal team to obtain a magistrates hearing to allow us to take possession of the land as quickly as possible.

'We will do all that we can to move the group along as quickly as possible.'

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