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Home News

123 arrests during Appleby Horse Fair police operation

by CWH
13 June 2025
in News
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There were 123 arrests made as part of the policing operation around this year’s Appleby Horse Fair – including one man who was arrested for punching his horse.

It was said to be one of the busiest fairs in recent times, with the number of caravans and bowtops recorded as 1,307 – up from 1,287 in 2024. Drones were used to help gauge the number of vehicles.

The number of arrests rose this year, with police arresting 80 people this year at the fair, compared to 74 in 2024, 42 in 2023 and 18 in 2022.

There were no incidents of significant disorder or violent incidents at the fair, Cumbria police said.

The Appleby Horse Fair policing operation as a whole – which begins in the weeks leading to the fair – brought the total provisional arrest figure to 123 arrests. Of the 123 arrests made, 80 were for drink or drug driving.

On Saturday, police officers arrested a man following a report of a horse having been punched.

Aidan Tomlinson, 22, of Chatsworth Fall, Pudsey, Leeds, was subsequently charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.

He was bailed to attend Carlisle Magistrates Court on July 14.

Cumbria police also arrested a woman in charge of a horse who had previously been disqualified from controlling animals.

She was released under investigation while officers carry out further enquiries.

Officers also issued more than 370 tickets, while more than 120 vehicles were seized including for being suspected of being stolen, being suspected of having been used in a crime, causing an obstruction and driving without insurance.

Gold Commander for Appleby Horse Fair, Detective Superintendent Dan St Quintin, said: “We are seeing a concerning trend in the number of drivers we are stopping who are over the prescribed limit, from all communities – particularly for drug driving.

“The drink and drug driving arrests we have made have been split between people here for the fair and people not connected who were either travelling through or who live locally.

“Getting behind the wheel while unfit through drink or drugs is inexcusable and as people make their way home from the Fair today, we will urge people to drive with caution whilst continuing to target drivers who are willing to put their own lives, the lives of their passengers and the lives of other road users at risk.”

There was drop in the number of stalls at the 2025 fair. Overall stall numbers were at 231, including 25 food stalls, which was down on the 268 recorded in 2024 and well below the 2016 record high of 276.

Chair of the strategic co-ordinating group and Westmorland and Furness Council’s director of thriving communities, Steph Cordon, said: “I’m pleased that this year’s fair has passed without any major incidents and I’d like to thank everyone involved in the response to the fair, for their hard work and dedication in making sure that this was the case.

“I’m particularly grateful for the brilliant job officers from across Westmorland and Furness Council have done, working in lock-step with colleagues from all the agencies involved in the MASCG, to ensure the fair has been as safe and as clean and tidy as possible.

“There has been a particular focus on community engagement ahead of the 2025 fair and a number of improvements were in place, as result of the feedback we received from residents.

“This has included maintaining the barriers on the leisure centre car park to provide dedicated parking spaces for residents, temporary traffic calming measures and improved signage.

“We have also provided 62 additional litterbins, an increase of 10 on last year and 75 temporary toilets and two multi-use urinals, an increase of nine and one, respectively on last year’s provision.

“Cleaning and street sweeping teams have also worked exceptionally hard to keep the streets looking clean and tidy throughout the fair and Trading Standards officers, in a joint operation with Cumbria police, also seized unsafe counterfeit goods on sale at the fair.

“Our parking enforcement team issued 21 penalty charge notices between the Monday and Wednesday before the fair and a further 53 during the four main days of the fair.

“The traffic management plan applied by our Highways team, which implemented temporary speed restrictions, road closures and one-way restrictions to maintain traffic flow through the town and minimise the risk to pedestrians.

“The multi-agency approach of the MASCG, combined with listening and acting on feedback from all the communities involved, has helped create a safer experience for residents and visitors,” Steph continued.

“We’re now well into the final phase of this year’s fair and our cleaning teams are out in force in Appleby, Kirkby Stephen and outlying areas, picking up litter and sweeping the streets in the final, post-fair clean-up.”

The final clean-up is expected to be completed by the end of the week, and if people are still experiencing fair-related issues, they can report them online at https://forms.office.com/e/PftXw5kMSd

People will have a further opportunity to provide feedback on the 2025 fair at a drop-in event, hosted by representatives from the MASCG, which will be held at Appleby Public Hall on Monday June 23, between 5pm and 8pm.

Gypsy and Traveller representative Billy Welch, a member of the Multi Agency Co-ordinating Group (MASCG), said: “It’s been an absolutely wonderful fair. Everyone has enjoyed it and everything went like clockwork from the MASCG and from the police.

“Everybody is saying they had a really good time and the police and the MASCG did a brilliant job.

“We had the rough weather on Saturday but it’s only one day so didn’t spoil it. We’ve had far worse weather so it did not spoil anything.

“We’re already looking forward to next year’s fair – starting the planning and looking at what can be tweaked and improved. I just want to thank everyone – we’re really grateful – and wish everyone a safe journey home.” 

One of the most visible incidents of the fair was a van fire on the trade field on Saturday, which resulted in a multi-agency response.

Peter Kavanagh, station manager at Cumbria Fire and Rescue, said: “Emergency services were quick to respond to the incident, which was resolved before the fire could spread and resulted in nobody coming to harm.

The incident is not being treated as suspicious.

Animal charities are also present at the fair.

The RSPCA carried out 372 interventions at this year’s fair; issued 18 warnings; removed, treated and returned 14 equines to their owners; have two ongoing investigations; are caring for six horses who were abandoned or are subject to investigations and removed one wild caught bird.

Two horses were put to sleep because they were ill, on veterinary advice and with the permission of their owner.

RSPCA Chief Inspector Rob Melloy, who oversees the animal welfare operation, said: “Our interactions with the fairgoing community have been overwhelmingly positive and interventions, when they’ve been necessary, have been cordial.

“People may have seen something they’re not happy with, if it has been reported to us it has been investigated by our staff.

“While we did see tired horses, none of those who were exhaustion tested were so bad that they needed to be removed from their owners permanently. When they had rested, we were able to return them.

“We hoped we would be able to focus the public’s attention on the examples of good horse health, happiness and horsemanship at the fair this year, particularly given that it was the tenth anniversary of the Best at Appleby Awards run by Redwings and supported by other partner charities, which has proved an important tool in building positive relationships.”

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