A LOCAL man living in an ambulance at a beauty spot car park has made a plea to authorities after it was announced legal action was being sought to remove him.

Gary Jones has been living out of a disused ambulance, which is pitched up in the car park at Castle Cove, for almost two years.

The car park is owned by the adjoining Castle Cove Sailing Club, who are now taking fresh legal action to remove Gary from the small but popular beach. The club had previously issued Gary with a notice to quit in January 2022.

Others have now joined the car park and have been staying there but Gary maintains he is doing no harm and just wants ‘to be left alone’. Formally in the marketing industry he lost his home around 11 years ago and admitted to himself he was an alcoholic just two years ago.

He said: “I know I’m taking up a space, but I am a local and I did have a house here. I have been threatened with legal action again, I found a yellow letter tucked onto my van. I’ve told the sailing club I’m happy to go to court. I’m going to fight the power. I have a lot of local support.

“I have 80 per cent support from people I meet face to face, but you go to the Facebook comments and its about 20 per cent. People who come back for another holiday say to me they’re glad I’m still here. People on Portland who can see me across the water come over to say hello and hope I’m well. I am supported in this town by locals.”

As Gary is refusing to leave Castle Cove Sailing Club say they are left with no choice but to instigate legal proceedings, which they say, ‘will take some time’. This comes after Dorset Council and Dorset Police have both said the situation does not come under their jurisdiction as the land is privately owned.

Last winter, Gary received multiple Christmas dinners, he has been given thousands of pounds worth of clothing and insists his dog attracts all the love. Furthermore, people walk by and check in on Gary on their way to the beach.

He added: “I’d like to say to the sailing club that I need to be here to recover, please, I really want to stop drinking, but if they take my dog like they’ve implied they would and if they make me sit in a little room I won’t get better, so please just let me get better. I’m doing a lot of good whilst I’m here, I painted my van to try and make it look nicer so please just leave me alone. That’s all I need is to just be left alone.”