The son of a self-styled ‘gypsy king’ buried in a ‘gold’ coffin stands accused of making neighbours’ lives ‘hell’ after setting up home outside a leafy village.
Frank Tomney jr, 35, and his family moved static caravans and horses onto a paddock next to ancient woodland five years ago – and successfully applied for a three-year temporary planning permission, now expired.
He has now been accused of joining an attack on neighbour David McCorquodale, a retired Army Air Corps and British Airways pilot who is also a distant relative of Princess Diana and late author Dame Barbara Cartland.
Last month’s terrifying incident allegedly involved a car being driven at the former Captain and him being threatened with an angle grinder.
Parish councillor Mr McCorquodale, who lives next door to Tomney on the edge of Charlwood, Surrey, and other neighbours are furious after council officials recommended the traveller site receives permanent planning permission.
There are also claims electricity has been siphoned from the supply to local residents.
Tomney is the son of ‘gypsy king’ Frank Tomney, also known as Frank Thompson, 69, who died in July.
Frank Tomney posted picture of him posing with Bentley displaying personalised numberplate
David McCorquodale, retired Army Air Corps and British Airways pilot, claims he was attacked
The traveller patriarch’s extravagant send-off included his supposed ‘solid gold’ coffin being taken on a six day ‘farewell tour’ by Rolls Royce before being laid to rest at a London cemetery.
In 2011 Tomney SR and others were jailed for one of Britain’s biggest cowboy building scams, making £1.3m by tricking dozens of pensioners.
Tomney SR was imprisoned for five-and-a-half years.
A family friend of Mr McCorquodale, a cousin of Princess Diana’s brother-in-law Neil McCorquodale and who comes from a military family ‘steeped in duty and national pride’, said: ‘Tomney has made it as unpleasant as possible for David and his wife.
‘It is a complete scandal that (planning) permission is likely to be granted. They have made their lives hell. It is sickening. It is disgusting.’
‘(Over the years) I understand 1,300 letters of complaint about (the travellers) have been sent to Mole Valley District Council.
‘Police have been three or four times and David has spent over £30,000 on CCTV. Frank Tomney has totally played the system.’
Frank Tomney sr, pictured outside Preston Crown Court, where he received jail term in 2011
Frank Tomney sr was buried in a ‘solid gold coffin’ at a South London cemetery
The disputed travellers’ site at Charlwood, Surrey, which is subject of planning application
The disputed driveway entrance where twin red metal fenceposts were installed by David McCorquodale and one on the right-hand side was cut down, sparking confrontation
Mr McCorquodale – who lives at a £2m house with adjacent smallholding – was allegedly assaulted after installing metal fence posts on a shared access road which he owns but also serves the travellers’ site.
On September 1, he went outside after hearing a loud noise and saw eight ‘young men’, some with balaclavas.
Mr McCorquodale was allegedly ‘pushed, shoved and assaulted’ by the gang who were trying to remove the posts, while Tomney ‘instigated’ the attack.
One assailant ‘drove a vehicle at him’ while another ‘charged’ at him allegedly brandishing an angle grinder.
Previous alleged anti-social behaviour includes children on the gypsy site throwing stones at Mr McCorquodale and his wife, and gates being left open allowing the McCorquodale’s sheep to escape.
Meanwhile, Tomney is also understood to have been running a construction business from his site and using unsuitably large vehicles on the access road, which has led to Mr McCorquodale bringing a case in the civil courts.
Tomney JR, whose social media includes pictures of him with a Bentley car bearing a personalised numberplate, lounging in a hot tub at his home, as well as fine-dining at The Dorchester hotel and a branch of The Ivy in London, has not been seen since Mr McCorquodale was attacked and did not reply to requests for comment.
Glover’s Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and home to rare bat species
Frank Tomney in hot tub outside ‘static caravan’ on site next to Mr McCorquodale’s home
Mole Valley District Council will decide on the retrospective application on Wednesday.
The site is adjacent to Glover’s Wood, a Site of Special Scientific Interest which is home to rare bats.
Charlwood Parish Council, among opponents of the planning application, made further accusations of anti-social behaviour.
In its objection, the council said: ‘(There is) littering, Parish Council members have spent many hours collecting glass, bottles, tins, soiled clothing, plastic bags, needles, food, alcoholic drink bottles and packaging.
The council also claimed there were reports of ‘theft, trespass, vehicle damage and other issues’.
Another local resident said: ‘It’s not about who lives there — it’s about the principle. This is Green Belt land, right next to an SSSI. If rules don’t matter here, do they matter anywhere?’
The parish council adds there are sufficient alternative traveller sites in the district.
Mole Valley District Council declined to comment further.
A UK Power Networks spokesperson said: ‘Our engineers disconnected an illegal electricity cable in the area on Wednesday.
‘This had been attached to our low voltage electricity network which feeds local customers, and did not cause any risk to private power networks.’
