Traveller who felt ‘imprisoned’ in council home claims to be ‘living like a King’ after turning old London bus into a second home
A traveler has converted a double-decker bus into a second home after feeling ‘trapped’ by his council house – and he is living ‘like a king’ on board.
But the red London bus has now been towed away after four years of complaints from neighbors in Falmouth, Cornwall, who said they were ‘intimidated’ by the occupant.
Neil Wainwright, 61, said he felt ‘trapped’ in his council house and preferred living in the van, which was parked on a public street in Glasney Road.
His neighbors were less than impressed with the addition and have campaigned to have the bus removed from the residential area since it was parked in 2019.
Concerns began when it emerged that Mr Wainright – a former electromechanical engineer – had been powering the bus with an extension cable coming from the empty letterbox at his town hall.
A traveler has converted a double-decker bus into a second home after feeling ‘trapped’ by his council house – and he’s living ‘like a king’ on board
He equipped the double-decker with a toilet, shower and a fully functioning kitchen, and turned two rooms into a bedroom and a living room.
Mr Wainwright’s renovation work cost a total of £32,000.
The bus is now in a parking lot and the traveler says he lives “like a king,” explaining that everything in the vehicle is “made from things I found.”
He told The sun: ‘Life is great on the bus, I love it.
‘I want to show people that you don’t need a lot of money to live well.
‘I’m a gypsy. My name is Wainwright. It means wagon maker and I’ve lived in wagons all my life.’
The bus has since been moved to New County Hall in Truro, Cornwall, where it is parked in a car park.
Announcing the move, councilor Jayne Kirkham apologized for taking so long.
The red London bus has now been towed away after four years of complaints from neighbors in Falmouth, Cornwall, who said they were ‘intimidated’ by the occupant
Neil Wainwright, 61, said he felt ‘trapped’ in his council house and preferred living in the van – which was parked on a public street in Glasney Road
His neighbors were less than impressed with the addition and have campaigned to have the bus removed from the residential area since it was parked in 2019.
She said: ‘The Glasney bus is gone!! Finally. After a lot of searching by a lot of people and this pushy councilor.
‘Sorry it took so long to resolve a situation that was very difficult for everyone involved.’
Ms Kirkham added that Mr Wainwright had now been moved to a ‘safe place’ where he could ‘access services’.
Concerns began when it emerged that Mr Wainright – a former electromechanical engineer – had been powering the bus with an extension cable coming from his town hall’s empty letterbox.
He equipped the double-decker with a toilet, shower and a fully functioning kitchen, and turned two rooms into a bedroom and a living room.
Previously, Mr Wainwright said: ‘I want to live in my car, I don’t want to live in a house. I was locked up in a house for five years.’
Local residents took to social media to celebrate the news that it had finally disappeared.
One posted: ‘That’s amazing! It will be safer for everyone who uses that road and residents can enjoy their home again.’