'Unruly tourists' hold British village to ransom after NZ rampage

NZ Herald

15 Jun, 2019 09:13 PM2 mins to read

Challenge: Residents claim they face violence if they so much as try to challenge the Dorans over their behaviour. Photo / Daily Mail

The infamous family of 'unruly tourists' who blazed a trail of destruction around New Zealand are now holding British villages to ransom by threatening to build ramshackle homes unless locals buy land back off them for huge amounts of money.

The Doran family first hit the headlines during the New Zealand summer after a video emerged of them littering a waterfront lawn area of Takapuna Beach.

A young British boy was filmed threatening to knock a woman's "brains out" when the family were challenged by concerned locals.

Allegations then followed the group around New Zealand as they were accused of also attempting to rip off several restaurants and motels.

Other men linked to the group ran a series of roofing scams, hoodwinking unsuspecting victims out of thousands of dollars.

At the height of their notoriety, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff labelled them "a bunch of a***holes" before the unwelcome tourists headed back home.

Now residents in picturesque British villages fear their way of life will be ruined unless they cough up money to the family.

The first to be targeted, according to the Daily Mail, is Worcestershire's Dough Bank.

The Dorans reportedly paid £9000 (NZ$17,000) for a small piece of land in the village, then demanded more than £600,000 ($1.1 million) if they wanted it back.

Soon after buying the plot, the Daily Mail says more than 20 members of the family had moved their caravans and vehicles onto the land, often blocking narrow lanes.

Calling for cash: The Dorans have snapped up land in Worcestershire but want $1.1 million to leave. Above, family members are challenged by New Zealand police in Hamilton. Photo / Belinda Feek

Locals claim the family threatened violence against people who challenged them.

One Dough Bank resident told the Daily Mail: "Family members would take it in turns to urinate, or worse, in people's driveways. They turned their site, which was once beautiful, unspoilt woodland, into an eyesore. They built 10ft high breeze-block walls, which the council made them take down, and dumped hundreds of tons of rubble in heaps everywhere."