Unruly British tourists in New Zealand revealed as ‘gypsy’ controversy escalates

The identities and relationships of the British travellers who have sparked uproar in New Zealand can be revealed. 

The matriarch of the unruly clan being hunted by outraged Facebook vigilantes is grandmother Barbara Doran, 55.  

Mrs Doran said she is too scared to sleep at night. The family feel they are being ‘tortured’ by the public and insist they have done nothing wrong. 

‘I’m very, very frightened, honestly,’ Mrs Doran told Daily Mail Australia.

Members of the clan, estimated to number between 12 and 15, are believed to have arrived in the country’s North Island to ‘see the Hobbits and mountains’ weeks ago.  

Since then, they have been at the centre of claims members have scammed restaurants, trashing beaches, motel rooms and apartments and swore at locals. 

 

Family matriarch Barbara Doran (pictured) says the family are ‘very frightened, honestly’

Ms Doran (pictured) says she has 'never in her life' entered a restuarant without paying

Ms Doran (pictured) says she has ‘never in her life’ entered a restuarant without paying

Mrs Doran denied the allegations against her family, claiming she has ‘never in her life’ entered a restaurant without paying.

‘I’m a grandmother, I’ve got a lot of grandchildren,’ she said.

‘I’m not going to go and get food without paying for it. I’m not going to put myself that low.

‘If I haven’t got the money, I would not go in to that restaurant. I would not go into a shop if I hadn’t got the money to pay for something that I want.

‘I’ve never done it in England, I’m not going to come and do it here.’  

Her son, Joe Doran, has become the family’s number one spokesman, sparring with media at different sites across the country.  

Social media vigilantes tracking the family across New Zealand have dubbed Mr Doran ‘Honest John’. 

That’s because he has repeatedly given his name to reporters as ‘John Johnson’.  

Joe Doran - also known as John Johnson - has sparred with media as the family travel across New Zealand

Joe Doran – also known as John Johnson – has sparred with media as the family travel across New Zealand

The behaviour of the tourists (pictured speaking to police after causing a scene) has sparked anger in New Zealand

The behaviour of the tourists (pictured speaking to police after causing a scene) has sparked anger in New Zealand

In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, Mr Doran insisted his family is respectable. 

His grandfather was the ’10th richest man in England’, Mr Doran claimed. 

In a separate interview with Newshub, he claimed: ‘No member of my family stole anything at any stage in New Zealand. We were not brought up that way.’ 

However, a relative last week pleaded guilty to two theft charges for stealing rope, Red Bull and sunglasses from an Auckland service station over the New Year period. 

Tina Marie Cash, 26, was ordered to pay up more than $55 for the items she robbed from the Caltex store.

Family members covered their faces leaving court after Tina Cash admitted to stealing a Red Bull, wire rope and sunglasses from the same Caltex store on December 31 and January 4

Family members covered their faces leaving court after Tina Cash admitted to stealing a Red Bull, wire rope and sunglasses from the same Caltex store on December 31 and January 4

Mrs Doran and other family members, including a woman dressed in a Unicorn onesie, were in attendance at the court case. 

Miss Cash claimed she had been ‘vomiting blood’ since her arrest and claimed the family had been treated with ‘no respect’.

‘If people come to the UK, they have rights,’ she said. 

‘What are our rights here? We have none.’ 

The family first sparked outrage in after allegedly leaving a mess at Takapuna Beach, near Auckland, more than a week ago. 

This mess, left behind at a beach near Auckland, sparked a social media firestorm

This mess, left behind at a beach near Auckland, sparked a social media firestorm

Footage showed a young boy, wearing a wide-brimmed Bunnings Warehouse hat, approaching  a woman filming the beach mess

Footage showed a young boy, wearing a wide-brimmed Bunnings Warehouse hat, approaching  a woman filming the beach mess

The family have sought refuge in the mountains near Wellington, New Zealand's capital

The family have sought refuge in the mountains near Wellington, New Zealand’s capital

Days later, police were called to a Burger King restaurant in the city of Hamilton where the family were allegedly ‘causing problems’. 

More recently, the family has fled into the mountains of Wellington, where a motel cleaner complained it took ‘hours’ to clean their room, which stunk of ‘kid’s poo’. 

Pictures seen by Daily Mail Australia showed Red Bull cans and spaghetti strewn on the floor, while cigarette butts littered the ground out the front. 

Four unidentified members of the clan were handed deportation notices after the Burger King incident on Tuesday. 

But the family members have the right to appeal which could delay their deportation.

Do you know more? Contact Hannah.Moore@mailonline.com 

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