CUMBRIA’s police and crime commissioner Peter McCall has insisted he is not the organiser of Appleby Horse Fair and has no control over the event.

The county’s Conservative PCC was responding to calls that the travelling community had not been sufficiently kept in the loop about the 2019 event.

Tensions ran high last year following a number of incidents and complaints which saw residents dub it “the worst ever” and claims made about a “hands-off” attitude from the police.

On Monday, Mr McCall attended Eden Local Committee where he faced questions from panel member Pat Bell, a Liberal Democrat county councillor, about the amount of engagement with the Irish traveller community.

She said “some months ago” it was suggested that a “presentation” be given by the crime commissioner to travellers outside of the influence of Billy Welch.

Mr Welch is the official gypsy and traveller representative s on the Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group (MASCG).

Appleby Fair does not have an official organiser but the group takes on certain duties and consists of the police, Cumbria County Council, South Lakeland District Council and Eden District Council, among others.

But Mr McCall said that “communications” was the responsibility of the MASCG group and that they had been working up a plan which was likely to involve social media.

Cllr Bell, the Liberal Democrat member for Penrith East, said she could not express “the size” of her disappointment.

She told him: “If you want to work with your community, you talk to them, you go out and talk to them. There are communities out there and it clearly hasn’t happened. If we are going to make Appleby Fair better, talk to people. Don’t wait until you’ve got a communications plan and then deliver it.”

Mr McCall said Cllr Bell was “speaking to the wrong person”. He said: “Since last year an idea has gone around that I run Appleby Fair and I absolutely do not. MASCG runs it insofar as anybody does.

“I’m the police and crime commissioner. I do not have the remit nor the powers to run Appleby Fair. It is not my communications plan.”

Cllr Bell said as a “community leader” Mr McCall had the power to make things happen and Mr McCall pledged to do all he could.

At the same meeting, it was decided that Kirkby Stephen councillor, Phil Dew,  be appointed to the MASCG to report back to Eden Local Committee.

Cllr Dew, the Conservative county councillor for the town, has been an outspoken critic of anti-social behaviour at the fair and the cost to the public purse of the event being hosted in Eden.