"Appleby Horse Fair Takes a Chaotic Turn as Guns Seized and Travelers Warned of River Hazards"

APPLEBY Horse Fair descended into chaos on the opening day after cops seized dozens of realistic-looking air guns and travellers were warned to stay out of a swollen river amid safety fears.

The event – believed to be Europe‘s largest traditional Gypsy fair – sees thousands of people from the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities arrive in their droves to the town.

Large crowds flock to the streets in Day Two of the event Credit: NNP People in horse drawn carriages during the Appleby Horse Fair Credit: PA

On Thursday morning, the first day of the event, officers stopped a van on its way to the Trading Fields at Appleby and found it to be carrying illegal items.

Among the items seized were dozens of realistic-looking air weapons, along with BB pellets.

In addition, vapes and children’s toys were seized, alongside other items.

Detective Superintendent Dan St Quintin, Gold Commander for Appleby Horse Fair, warned other attendees that illegal items at the event will be seized.

People at the campsite during the Appleby Horse Fair Credit: PA Large crowds turn out for Day Two of the Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria Credit: NNP Attendees of the event sit beside the river Credit: NNP Billy Welch with his Gypsy wagon during the Appleby Horse Fair Credit: PA

He said: “Police and Trading Standards will be working closely during the event.

“Anyone who thinks it is acceptable to bring items such as air weapons, imitation firearms, knives or other such items to sell at the event can expect to have such goods seized and be ejected from the area.”

Catherine Hornby, Trading Standards Manager for Westmorland and Furness Council, celebrated the “successful joint operation”.

She said: “We’re pleased that this successful joint operation with the police, working on shared intelligence from outside the area, has prevented counterfeit goods from reaching the market fields at Appleby Horse Fair and resulted in the seizure of a number of unsafe items.”

The Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group (MASCG) for Appleby Horse Fair has taken the decision to close the ramp access to the River Eden on The Sands and at Jubilee Ford in the town, on public safety grounds.

River levels in Appleby are monitored constantly throughout the Fair and following heavy rain on Wednesday, the river level has risen to 1.42m.

That is well above the 0.5m depth that triggers a safety .

The primary factors in reaching the decision to close the ramp access were the depth of the water, how quickly the river is running and the poor visibility of the water beneath the surface, with the potential for unseen debris.

People during the Appleby Horse Fair, the annual gathering of the travelling community in Appleby Credit: PA Thousands from the travelling community attend the annual event Credit: PA Inspectors assess water levels in the River Eden before deeming it as unsafe for horses to bathe in Credit: EPA The Appleby Horse Fair is believed to be Europe’s largest traditional Gypsy fair Credit: PA

The MASCG strongly advises people not to enter the River Eden at Appleby for the safety of themselves and their animals.

Chair of the MASCG, Claire Notman, Senior Manager Communities at Westmorland and Furness Council, stressed the importance of not entering the water.

She said: “The top priority for all the agencies involved in the MASCG is the safety and welfare of the people and animals attending the Fair.

“Clearly, any time any person or animal enters the River Eden there is an inherent risk.

“However, now that river levels have significantly risen above the 0.5m safety level, the relevant agencies in the MASCG have taken the difficult, but necessary, decision to close access to the river in order to keep people and animals safe.

“We strongly urge everyone attending the Fair to observe the restrictions that have been put in place to prevent access to the River Eden.

“These restrictions also apply to other access points within the Appleby area, including Jubilee Ford.”

River levels remain under regular review and if they do fall back to a safer level, the MASCG may take the decision to reopen the access ramp and Jubilee Ford.

The MASCG will continue to monitor the river level, review the closure status and communicate any changes to the situation, as appropriate.

The RSPCA is urging people to observe the advice and not to take horses into the river as it is currently unsafe for people and animals.

RSPCA Chief Inspector Lyndsey Taylor echoed the danger of entering the water.

She said: “Conditions are so dangerous that we took the decision not to send in our specially trained water rescue officers, who remove hazards from the river near the ramp each morning of the Fair.

“If the water is too risky for them, with their expert training, I hope it goes without saying it is not safe for the public.

“This decision has been taken by the MASCG for everyone’s safety and it’s really important that people listen.”