Arrests at Appleby Horse Fair down again

The number of arrests at the annual Appleby Horse Fair fell this year in comparison to previous years.

The event, in the town of Appleby in Cumbria, is billed as one of the largest gatherings of travellers and Gypsies in Europe and this year 50,000 people attended.

The number of arrests fell to 48 this year from 62 last year, according to the BBC.

Last year the number of arrests were also down compared to the year before, this time by 50%; however some travellers complained of heavy-handed tactics from the police.

Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham told the BBC: "There have been a few isolated incidents of violence during this year's fair.

"But overall it has been more peaceful and enjoyable than in other years, despite the vast increase in visitor numbers.

In the build up to the event the police released a statement saying they would not tolerate street fighting or violence of any sort and warned people not to bring weapons into the country.

This year the police took a stricter stance on the trading of items such as BB guns and the possession of other items that could be used as weapons like baseball bats, which in the end made a huge difference.