West Shore RCMP have seized a U-Haul truck after a group of roving tent city campers tried to take over the Thetis Lake Campground in View Royal just after midnight Monday.
The campground adjacent to the entrance of Thetis Lake Park, is privately owned, gated and locked, and slated for re-development.
At 12:40 Monday morning the caretaker noticed a U-Haul truck and suspicious occupants inside the compound.
The caretaker discovered the lock on the gate had been cut and the hinge was broken, and called police.
View Royal Mayor David Screech calls the incident troubling:
" I think it's really troubling when we have private property being broken into and damaged, and personally I hope that charges are laid."
Screech adds the group is making a nuisance of itself, wasting police resources, and needs to accept shelter options being offered to them whether they are perfect or not.
Meantime West Shore RCMP say the suspects were committing the crime of mischief by cutting the lock, damaging the gate and entering onto the private property.
West Shore RCMP CpL. Chris Dovell says charges may be laid following investigation:
"So we haven't charged anyone and no one was arrested. We're going to continue our investigation, hopefully identify the people that were inside, and potentially the people who did the mischief to the gate."
The group was charged with mischief after doing the same thing over the weekend, gaining access to the old Woodwyn Farms property by cutting the lock on the gate. After refusing to leave they were arrested by police.
They were released and told not to return to the property.