AN abandoned caravan left on Canal Road in Holsworthy, which was due to be removed, was burnt out before the owners could be located.

Police were notified by the fire service at 9pm on January 13 of a caravan on fire in a layby off Canal Road, Holsworthy

It was not possible to identify the owner of the caravan and no crime has been recorded. The district council were contacted to clear the site.

At this time no-one has come forward to claim ownership of the caravan. The log number is 0743/January 13.

The issue was discussed during the full Holsworthy Town Council meeting on January 16.

Mayor Cllr Jon Hutchings said: “You will all have seen the caravan that was abandoned by the cattle market. We asked for it to be moved but no one could agree whose responsibility it was to remove it — Devon County or Torridge District Council’s.”

Cllr Joanne Heaven said she had noticed a ‘yellow sticker’ was placed on the side of the caravan to say it would soon be towed: “But what good was that sticker because the day after the caravan was burnt out so you couldn’t even see the sticker!”

A Devon County Council spokesperson confirmed it was Torridge District Council’s remit to remove the caravan.

In response Richard Haste, TDC waste and recycling manager, said: “We became aware of the caravan a little while ago and at that time it was in a poor but serviceable condition. Our expectation was that the owner would return to remove the vehicle but our officers also began an investigation to trace that person.

“Unfortunately over the Christmas period the caravan was vandalised and set on fire. Our enquiries have only managed to uncover the previous owner, just before the vehicle was set alight, but not the current one.

“If anyone has any information which might help us we would be grateful if they could make contact with the council as there is a duty of care in disposing of such vehicles which have clearly been ignored in this case.”

The council will continue its investigations to trace the owner.

Following the removal of the burnt out caravan the layby and verge were litter picked and one of the district council’s sweepers went through to give it a final clean.