Mounds of rubbish are left strewn across fields at Appleby Horse Fair after thousands descended on Cumbrian town for Europe’s largest gathering of Gypsies and travellers
- The 250-year-old fair sees 30,000 visitors descend on Appleby, Cumbria, for the annual four-day event
- It is said to be Europe’s largest gathering Gypsies and travellers, but visitors were urged to away during Covid
- Caravans and horse-drawn carriages use fields surrounding small town for accommodation during the fair
- Environmental teams are on hand throughout the event to maintain cleanliness and hand out bin bags
- But mounds of cardboard boxes, plastic bags, empty bottles and other rubbish pictured in the fields today
Mounds of rubbish have been left strewn across fields surrounding the Appleby Horse Fair.
The 250-year-old event in Cumbria, Europe’s largest gathering of members of the Gypsy, Romany and travelling communities, sees 30,000 visitors descend on the small town for the four-day event.
Hundreds of caravans and horse-drawn carriages move into the town, while some set up camp in nearby fields around the area.
Environmental teams operate during the fair to maintain cleanliness and hand out bin bags at encampments gathering in the different fields, along with daily ‘Encampment Patrols’.
A further 39 litter bins are also provided during the fair, with visitors urged to ‘make use of these bins and do not drop your rubbish on the ground’.
But fields used as temporary encampment sites were scattered with carboard boxes, plastic bags, empty bottles and hordes of other rubbish today.
The annual event sees thousands of travellers flock to the small town, which has a population of fewer than 3,000 people for four days
A mattress is amongst the rubbish left this morning in the fields that surround the town after thousands gathered for the fair
People ride horses in the River Eden on Friday, the second day of the Appleby Horse Fair, a key meeting point for members of the Gypsy, Romany and travelling communities
A traveller leaves one of the fields in a horse-drawn carriage following the ‘main weekend’ of the Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria
Empty plastic bags and bottles were scattered among the rubbish pictured in one of the local fields around the Appleby Horse Fair
Birds scavenge through the rubbish left this morning in the fields used by visitors to the town for the raucous annual event in Cumbria
A rubbish tip overflowing with garbage next to two caravans and multiple tents in one of the fields used by visitors to the fair over the weekend
Rubbish was strewn across a field used as accommodation for caravans, horse-drawn carriages and tents for the four-day event
Squashed cans, empty plastic bottles and other rubbish lay alongside one of the tracks within a field used for accommodation on Monday morning
Mounds of rubbish pictured in one of the fields close to the town, which hosted thousands of visitors for the annual four-day event
The annual event began last week and is due to run through to Wednesday, but organisers say it is ‘essentially a weekend event’ and urge visitors to leave afterwards
Environmental teams operate during the fair to maintain cleanliness and hand out bin bags at encampments gathering in the different fields, along with daily ‘Encampment Patrols’, but rubbish was pictured across the area
An aerial view of the rubbish at a field close to the town of Appleby, host of the annual Appleby Horse Fair that sees thousands flock to the town
It comes just two days after two men, aged 37 and 24, from outside the county were arrested on suspicion of violent order.
Chief Superintendent Matt Kennerley said: ‘Expert officers are actively reviewing CCTV footage with the aim of identifying offenders and making further arrests.
‘A number of weapons, including sticks and bats of various types, as well as bladed weapons have also been seized by officers.
‘There is no place at Appleby for those who travel here intent on disorder and violence – and that is a message which comes not just from the police but the local, settled community and the overwhelming majority of the Gypsy and Traveller community.’
Police also issued a stop and search order at the fair on Saturday amid fears that weapons and drugs could be on site.
Section 60 and 60AA order in the town which allows officers to stop and search people without needing to suspect that they may be carrying weapons.
It was given after police became aware of a group heading to Appleby intending to cause trouble.
Piles of rubbish have been left strewn across fields surrounding the Appleby Horse Fair, with just a few vehicles and caravans left on Monday morning
Rubbish was also strewn across fields as early as Friday, the first of the three ‘main’ days of the annual event, which is not due to conclude until Wednesday
Seagulls fly over the piles of rubbish left at one of the fields located a short distance from the Cumbrian town on Friday
Hordes of empty cardboard boxes and plastic bags seen left at the site on Friday as the annual event got underway
Police said they made arrests for theft and drug driving and were called to the scene of a crash where a horse died and three people were injured before the fair over the weekend.
The incident was resolved and an investigation is now underway as officers work to identify those involved.
Local pubs closed for the week of the historic horse fair as organisers confirmed that at least 11 pubs in Appleby and Kirkby Stephen will not be open during the event.
Appleby Primary School also closed on June 10 because of the event.
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