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Worcester residents bolt park gate after altercation
Worcester residents bolt park gate after altercation

BBC News

time03-07-2025

  • BBC News

Worcester residents bolt park gate after altercation

A community in Worcester have taken security into their own hands after two residents claim they were assaulted by a group of travellers. The two people were injured and a vehicle was vandalised after a resident parked his car to prevent access to neighbouring Power Park in St Peter's on living in the area also used heavy duty bicycle locks and screws on the park's height restriction Mercia Police has said it is investigating the incident with "enquiries ongoing", while Worcester City Council said the security measures around its open spaces were "under review". Billy Welch, a spokesperson for the traveller community, stressed attacks like Sunday's are "extremely rare", but said due to a lack of legal traveller pitches it was something that appeared to be getting worse. He also stressed there were "two sides to every story". Councillor John Renshaw, of St Peter's Parish Council, said: "As soon as the last of the travellers left on Sunday evening, some of the local residents came out."One of them put a lock on the gate, another one wrapped a heavy duty cycle chain around the gate, and another put some screws through."If any of [the travellers] try to come back they're going to have a hard time getting back into the park." Discussing the attack, Mr Renshaw said one man suffered a "deep gash" underneath his left eye."The medics who treated him said had that gash been two or three centimetres higher, he'd have probably lost his left eye." 'Two sides to every story' Mr Renshaw has now started calls for an "urgent look at security" for open spaces and warned that "something needs to be done". Mr Welch added: "Some of [the travellers] had got onto the park and then someone parked their vehicle in front of the gate stopping them from leaving, and they wanted to leave. "And apparently they had only turned up there for a few days for a funeral, there was a funeral a few miles up the road, that's what they had come for. "There was nowhere else for them to stay but when they tried to leave they were blocked, that is when the altercation happened." Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Cumbria Police to consult on use of facial recognition at Appleby Fair
Cumbria Police to consult on use of facial recognition at Appleby Fair

Yahoo

time04-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Cumbria Police to consult on use of facial recognition at Appleby Fair

Cumbria Police will be consulting with communities on the use of facial recognition technology during the Appleby Horse Fair. The force will be gathering views from the gypsy and traveller community on whether Live Facial Recognition (LFR) cameras should be deployed at future Appleby Horse Fairs. The technology will not be used during the 2025 event. Detective Superintendent Dan St Quintin, gold police commander for Appleby Horse Fair, said: "Whilst we are not deploying facial recognition during the 2025 Appleby Horse Fair, I want to gauge public opinion on its potential future use. "Therefore, we want to use the opportunity of the 2025 fair to reach out to all communities impacted by the fair to gauge opinion and feeling around the proposal. "As gold commander for the Appleby Horse Fair policing operation, it is my role to look each year at how we can enhance the safety of this event. "This technology has the potential to have a profoundly positive impact on our ability to keep people safe – by quickly identifying people who are suspected of committing a crime, have travelled here despite being wanted by the police, and by helping us to safeguard vulnerable people, including missing individuals. "However, policing by consent relies on public support for such measures, which is why we are asking for the public's views on our use of this technology in future Appleby Horse Fair policing operations." Live Facial Recognition works by using cameras to scan the faces of passers-by and instantly compare them against a curated database of individuals wanted by police. The technology could be used to identify people suspected of crimes, those wanted on warrant, or individuals reported missing. Billy Welch, a Gypsy and Traveller representative and member of the Multi Agency Co-ordinating Group (MASCG), said: "As the tenant of Fair Hill, I work with police and the council to keep Appleby Fair safe and enjoyable for everyone, for the sake of our children and grandchildren. "Wherever people gather in large numbers, CCTV and security cameras have become normal, and the technology has advanced so fast that facial recognition is now a fact of life. "If Cumbria Police can use it to identify criminality and troublemakers and keep them away from the fair, then I would support it. "People who have not committed any offence have nothing to worry about. "Some people might disagree, but whatever you think about this proposal, it is important that all points of view are heard, so I encourage everyone to take part in this survey so that police can measure public opinion before the fair next year." David Allen, Cumbria's Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said: "As commissioner, I am the voice of the public in policing and fire services in the county, so I'm really pleased to see Cumbria Constabulary consulting with the public on their thoughts surrounding facial recognition. "I want to make it clear: this isn't a tool to spy on law-abiding members of the public. "I would like to encourage anyone at the fair and in Appleby to take part in the survey – we genuinely do want your opinions and for you to raise any concerns. "Let us work together to ensure that we can continue to keep Cumbria and Appleby Fair safe for everyone." People attending the fair, as well as those living in the area, will be able to take part in the survey. Written forms will be made available at the Tourist Information Centre in Appleby.

Council warn over 'harmful' fakes sold at Appleby Fair market
Council warn over 'harmful' fakes sold at Appleby Fair market

BBC News

time24-05-2025

  • Business
  • BBC News

Council warn over 'harmful' fakes sold at Appleby Fair market

Market traders at an annual fair are being asked to check their goods are genuine and safe, after more than £500,000-worth of fake items were seized during last year's goods sold during the 2024 Appleby Horse Fair, in Cumbria, included alcohol, tobacco, vapes, perfumes, cosmetics and electrical and Furness Council's Trading Standards manager, Catherine Hornby, warned those shopping at the market may not be aware buying fake goods could be "harmful".Billy Welch, spokesperson for the Gypsy and traveller community, pointed out the adjoining market is not connected to the traditional horse fair, but said the majority of its traders sell genuine products. "There are the odd travellers who set up and sell pots, but there are a lot there from all walks of life," said Mr said "80- 90% of people on the stalls are from the settled community". "The large majority of the travellers are on Fair Hill," he added. This year's Appleby Horse Fair - now in its 249th year - takes place between 5-11 annual event is one of the largest gatherings for Gypsies and travellers in Europe, with its key focus being the sale and showing of horses. The adjoining market is separately organised by a local farmer, Jimmy Winter. The BBC has contacted Mr Winter for comment. 'Serious harm' Ms Hornby said market traders should purchase their goods from reputable suppliers and obtain written assurances the products are last year's fair, 2,500 fake sunglasses were uncovered, along with nearly 200 bottles of perfume with counterfeit Cartier, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Dior trademarks. Toys and electrical goods should be marked with the name and address of the manufacturer, and should have a serial number. They should also carry the UKCA or CE mark, which offers assurances of authenticity and safety."The risk of serious harm from counterfeit goods - such as sunglasses that don't provide full UV protection, or from untested cosmetics, perfumes and electrical goods - are obvious," she said."At best you will waste your money on a sub-standard product, at worst you may purchase something that is harmful." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

Plea not to arrive too soon to Cumbria's Appleby Horse Fair
Plea not to arrive too soon to Cumbria's Appleby Horse Fair

BBC News

time03-05-2025

  • BBC News

Plea not to arrive too soon to Cumbria's Appleby Horse Fair

Appleby Horse Fair attendees have been asked not to arrive too soon ahead of the annual in its 249th year, the fair will see thousands of Gypsies and travellers pitch up in Westmorland, Cumbria, between 5 and 11 who bring trailers too soon can cause difficulties in the surrounding areas, particularly as stopping places are very limited, the Appleby Horse Fair Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group (MASCG) Gypsy and traveller representative Billy Welch said the number of temporary stopping places was falling year-on-year. The event is one of the largest gatherings in Europe for Gypsies and travellers and is centred around showing and trading Welch said: "Whilst there are bow tops who obviously have no choice but to set off early, most people do have the choice."Please think carefully about your travel plans prior to setting off and stay far out from Appleby prior to the fair."MASCG is chaired by Westmorland and Furness Council with support from representatives of the Gypsy and traveller community, Cumbria Police, the RSPCA, the Environment Agency and other Police also warned that it would "not hesitate" to take action against dangerous driving behaviour and vehicles that were not roadworthy, including towing away Supt Dan St Quintin, of Cumbria Police, said: "I make no apologies for this approach which we adopted last year and which helped contribute to one of the safest fairs in recent years for road safety." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.

'The police embarrassed and humiliated us. It should never be allowed to happen again'
'The police embarrassed and humiliated us. It should never be allowed to happen again'

Yahoo

time10-02-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

'The police embarrassed and humiliated us. It should never be allowed to happen again'

Billy Welch is head Gypsy. Two of his grandchildren and around 20 of his nieces and nephews were caught up in the trouble in Manchester city centre in November that saw police allegedly force dozens of Traveller children onto trains and prevent them from visiting the Christmas Markets. Here he explains the impact it had on his family and his community and what he would like to see happen now. "Children as young as seven were forced onto trains going in different directions. Mothers were seperated from their little ones. They didn't know where they were going. These were girls and boys dressed up in their best clothes to go to the Christmas markets. I know of one little boy who ended up in Newcastle. Another ended up in Grimsby. This happened in 21st Century Britain. Not one of those children commmitted a crime. It isn't a crime to be a Gypsy, it isn't a crime to be a Traveller. The problem is that Greater Manchester Police seem to think it is. You wouldn't have seen this aimed at the Sikh community, you wouldn't see it aimed the Muslim community and you wouldn't see it aimed at the settled community. The police wouldn't have done it to those children. But they did it to Gypsy children because discriminating against Gypsies is the last acceptable form of racism. What they did embarassed and humiliated us, not just the children involved but all of us. I'm getting on now, but I have never in all my years seen anything like this. It has frightened a lot of people. The police had a duty of care towards those children and they let them down badly. We have been working very hard over the last 25-30 years to improve relationships with the police and things were getting better. This has set us back decades. Gypsies and travellers are being used as a scapegoat for the country's problems. We want Greater Manchester Police to acknowledge what they did, apologise and accept responsibility. We want them to recognise it was wrong and to make sure it never happens again."

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