A firmer line being taken to Cumbria police led to a 38 per cent rise in the number of arrests which were made at last year’s Appleby Horse Fair.
The evaluation report for the 2022 fair, which has now been published, says there was 18 arrests in 2022, compared to 13 in 2021.
Recorded crime was also up 12 per cent from the previous year, with 28 reports, compared to 25. However, the most significant change was in respect of dispersal orders which rose from six in 2021 to 28 in 2022.
“The increases in arrests and dispersals were as a direct response to a firmer line being taken by police regarding anti-social behaviour and violent crime following concerns raised by both settled and gypsy and traveller communities and to reinforce the commitment to ensuring Appleby fair is a safe and enjoyable event for all communities,” writes Les Clark, who was chairman of the 2022 Appleby fair multi-agency strategic co-ordinating group (MASCG).
The police again had a dedicated option via the 101 number for issues connected to Appleby, as well as webchat, email and 999 if necessary.
There were 2,820 calls during the Appleby fair dates across the force area — 93 per cent of 101 calls were answered within five minutes.
Webchat and online reporting also recorded an additional 630 digital contacts. Out of a total of 3,450 customer contacts during the period of phase 2, 155 were directly related to the fair.
There was also a significant rise in fixed penalty notices issued, up 140 per cent from 58 to 139, attributable mainly to parking infringements within the “no waiting” areas.
Vehicles being uplifted and removed also increased as a result of similar obstruction issues and some uninsured or unlicensed vehicles.
The report also says police were required to deal with an incident of disorder on Battlebarrow which understandably received a great deal of attention.
“It should be noted that the matter was resolved without violence of any description and officers reacted extremely quickly to the potential threat and put themselves between the group and those peacefully enjoying the fair on The Sands, in order to keep people safe,” said Mr Clark.
He added: “Police investigations into this incident are ongoing and while those involved may have left the county, we have worked with other police forces to identify those who came to the fair to cause disorder and take action against them, which may include steps to prevent them attending Appleby Horse Fair in future. A number of arrests have been made in relation to this ongoing investigation.”
The total cost for the 2022 fair to the agencies involved in MASCG was £305,969 — down from £496,535 in 2021, a fall of 38 per cent.
The report states: “To be clear, these costs include the additional staff time associated with the fair and do not include the cost of normal working hours if they coincide with the fair. “
However, it is also pointed out that the sum of £305,969 was still about £50,000 higher than the last pre-pandemic fair in 2019.
In terms of attendance at the fair, the number of caravans counted in the Eden area has previously given a reasonable indication of how busy the event is.
The number for 2022 was 1,231, which was up only 21 on the number in 2021, a rise of two per cent.
The fair was a busy one for the RSPCA with instances where they offered advice and assistance up 11 per cent at 193 in 2022 compared to 174 in 2021.
However the number of verbal warnings issued and cases referred for summons both fell. The RSPCA were pleased that the number of people attempting to sell puppies was down significantly with only one litter of eight puppies being seized compared to 29 puppies in 2021.
The ambulance service dealt with 41 recorded injuries during the Fair, slightly down on the 2021 number of 44.
The report added: “In response to anti-social behaviour experienced last year, there was a relocation and increased provision of temporary toilets from Shire Hall to The Sands, including the provision of a gents urinal unit, which had a positive impact. The additional facilities significantly reduced such behaviour in 2022.”
This year the fair, which will take place from June 8 to June 14, will see an additional clean-up after the normal 6pm main clean of The Sands.
In addition, transit site and stopping place clean-up arrangements will be reviewed to ensure that priority is given to the highest risk areas and that clean-ups are completed as quickly as resources allow.
A more appropriate location for a temporary bar will also be considered to ease pressure on licensed premises in Appleby.
