A High Court judge has ordered a group of travellers to vacate an illegal encampment opposite the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston in Berkshire by 5 October 2026, giving them approximately two weeks to leave. The travellers had built 13 static homes on the site in 2025, defying a council stop notice issued in November and a subsequent court injunction, prompting local residents to express safety concerns and sign a petition. Judge Sylvia de Bertodano ruled that allowing the families to remain would render future court orders "entirely toothless," though she acknowledged the difficulties faced by the travelling community in finding permanent sites.

The site expanded to accommodate families on at least 22 separate pitches despite the December injunction, with the council providing photographic evidence of ongoing construction activity. The judge rejected the travellers' claims that families had been living there before the injunction was granted, describing their testimony as "entirely unconvincing." The court heard that the encampment could potentially compromise critical emergency arrangements designed to protect locals in the event of a nuclear accident. The travellers have been warned that breaching the order could result in contempt of court charges, with potential fines or imprisonment.