A MEETING about a controversial horse fair saw members of the public complaining about its policing.

Kirkby Stephen Town Council held a public participation meeting where people were able to voice their concerns about the Appleby Horse Fair.

This came after a request for a referendum was made by the Appleby Fair Communities Group to the council, asking if the fair should be ticketed or not and if the fair should go on 'unorganised'.

Members of the public attending spoke only in connection with the impact of the Appleby Horse Fair on the Kirkby Stephen parish area which this year took place between June 9 and 15.

Some raised concerns about crime during the fair and how the event was policed, with councillors claiming that policing of the event 'was not satisfactory'.

Residents said they were intimidated by festival fairgoers

One raised a concern that illegal camping by fairgoers was not acted upon by police. 

Residents claimed that a brick was thrown through a window and also an alleged sexual assault took place. 

Councillors felt that the fair was growing in scale and that what was needed was a ‘fair fair’.

A spokesperson from Cumbria Constabulary said:  “The policing of the 2022 Fair saw the Constabulary proactively tackling issues to a greater extent than in previous years.

“This included making 18 arrests but also record highs for fixed penalty notices issued (more than 200) stop and searches carried out (42), Section 60 searches (79) and vehicles uplifted/seized (25), whilst the number of dispersal orders issued (28) was the highest since 2016.

“Where a matter is reported to the police, whether immediately or after the fact, it will always be investigated.

“However, we do urge people to report matters as swiftly as possible to give officers the greatest possibility of carrying out a successful investigation and holding people accountable for their actions.

“The policing of Kirkby Stephen both in Phase One (pre-fair) and Phase Two (during the fair) is highly prioritised, which would be particularly clear to anyone passing through the area in the days leading up to the Fair.

“However, we listen to feedback constantly on the way the fair is policed so that improvements can be made so I can assure the people of Kirkby Stephen that their experiences are being heard and will influence the policing of future fairs.”

READ MORE: Group calls for referendum on Appleby Horse Fair