MP thanks Police and community for helping make this years Appleby Fair pass off quieter for Sedbergh residents

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has thanked Cumbria Police and the community in Cautley, Sedbergh and the Lune Valley for their support and patience that helped ensure that this year's fair passed off with less anti social behaviour than in the past.

Tim has worked with the community, local groups and the Police over many months to improve things for local residents who have been blighted by bouts of anti social behaviour by a minority of travellers. Some of the plans to improve things suggested by the public community meetings from previous years have been taken up by Tim who has pressed the police to make sure residents get the support and quiet run up to the Horse Fair. The cordoning-off of the grass verges on the Cautley Road was particularly effective this year.

As in previous years we saw public highways orders being used along the road between Devils Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale and the Rawthey Bridge at Cautley. These controls were much more tightly policed this time - and there were designated Police officers to protect residents and enforcing the orders throughout the whole of May

These new orders and controls were publicised locally and throughout the traveller community so that they knew that a repeat of previous years would not be permitted.

Commenting today Tim said: "I wanted to say thank you to the Police and the community for their work over the last two years since the awful scenes we witnessed in 2009. After those days we all said we never wanted that to happen ever again. Since then I have been delighted to hold meetings with the local community, councillors, police and many others to make sure that we lay plans that lessen anti social behaviour and protect local residents. We have all pulled together and improved things for local residents who's life had in the past been blighted by the run up the Horse Fair. Its important to pay tribute to the travellers too - Appleby Fair is an historic event and part of a rich heritage that is rightly celebrated, and the representatives of the travelling community have worked hard to ensure that South Lakeland was not hit by anti-social behaviour this year."

"But we must build on these successes and not be complacent. The work to make next year even quieter for the residents in Cautley, Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale starts now."