The Appleby Horse Fair clear up: Massive operation underway to get rid of rubbish strewn across fields where 10,000 travellers gathered
A massive clear up has started after a fire broke out at The Appleby Horse Fair where 10,000 travellers gathered leaving rubbish and furniture in their wake.
Shocking images show the remains of a white van that was engulfed by the flames on Saturday afternoon along with a tent and stall.
Thousands of pieces of litter are also visible as well as plastic crates and cardboard boxes thrown across the site.
It comes as the blaze was captured on social media with huge crowds gathering to stare as smoke billowed across the fair that attracts thousands of gypsies from across Europe.
In a video shared to YouTube, a fire could be seen burning through a white van which was set up in a corner of the field alongside a stall and several tables.
Clouds of black smoke also surrounded a tent as fair goers watched on in horror.
Some could be seen covering the faces with their jumpers and coats as they bravely ran towards the fire to start moving tables, chairs and personal belongings out of the fire's path before a small explosion warned onlookers to step back.
Some stall holders rushed to the scene and began dismantling a nearby white tent as the van became entirely consumed by the flames.
Appleby visitors were then forced aside as fire engines and police officers arrived to tackle the inferno, with 'woops' and cheers heard in the clips.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control as stall holders continued to dismantle nearby tents and tables to save their belongings from any further damage.
Police officers formed a barricade to protect crowds from getting to near to the fire.
In clips shared on TikTok, festival goers walked past the burnt-out wreckage in shock, wrapped up in waterproofs with umbrellas.
One clip showed a blackened white van and one person could be heard saying: 'There's stuff in the back, all the carpets and that.'
Another video showed travellers at the horse fair continuing with their day as families browsed stalls safely out of reach of the fire and tucked in to snacks from nearby food trucks while smoke billowed behind them.
MailOnline has contacted Cumbria Fire and Rescue service for comment.
The fire came as thousands of gypsies descended on the horse fair in Cumbria despite the rain for another day of revelry.
The fair sees the 3,000 population of Appleby-in-Westmorland swell by a factor of 10 as visitors swarm to the annual event.
Of those, an estimated 10,000 are from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community.
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