Latest news with #BillyWelch
BBC News
24-05-2025
- 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.
BBC News
03-05-2025
- 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.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- 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."
