TWO homeless men described as aggressive and filthy have set up camp in a Dunmow wood where children play during the summer holidays. The pair, thought to be an Englishman and an Irishman, have been spotted in Olive Wood just off the Luckin s Drive a

TWO homeless men described as "aggressive" and "filthy" have set up camp in a Dunmow wood where children play during the summer holidays.

The pair, thought to be an Englishman and an Irishman, have been spotted in Olive Wood just off the Luckin's Drive area and have set up two tents and a gazebo among the trees.

Retired policeman Geoff Parratt, from Nursery Rise, used to regularly walk his dog in the area.

He said: "The area has become disgusting because there is human faeces everywhere and there's the smell of urine in the air.

"A neighbour of mine was walking her dog when she came across the pair last week.

"They were very threatening towards her because her dog had wandered into their camp and eaten some food. She was really badly shaken.

"I don't walk my own dog around there any more because it is so horrible.

"If I had children I wouldn't let them venture there at all, at least for the moment."

Town clerk Owen Wilson is also shocked at the reports and has confronted the men face to face.

He said: "I heard reports that they were illegally fishing in the Doctors' Pond and then taking the fish back to their camp to eat.

"When I confronted them the Irishman spoke to me very aggressively. We have told the police about them."

Inspector Tom Boland from Dunmow police is aware of the situation and has said that they are monitoring the situation.

"We will try and move them on," he said, "but we need to contact the landowners and notify them of what is happening there."

Both men are rumoured to be from Harlow and had a brief stay in Stansted where they set up a similar dwelling before being moved on from there by the local police.

Mr Parratt said: "A high deer fence at the edge of the wood has been broken so they can get across and use the lorry stop to wash, but obviously they cannot be bothered to walk that far to use a toilet."

The pair, who have yet to be named, didn't want to comment when the Broadcast spoke to them on Tuesday afternoon, but police have said they will be asking them to move on over the next few days.

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