A COUNCILLOR who branded last year’s Appleby Horse Fair the ‘wild west’ has praised this year’s peaceful event.

Outspoken Conservative  Phil Dew led the community backlash after problems in Kirkby Stephen last year, but in a speech to county councillors he heaped praise on the 2019 gathering.

He also revealed that he had made peace with Billy Welch, the head gypsy, and they had ’embraced as Christian brothers’.

At a meeting of the full council in Kendal, Cllr Dew said police and crime commissioner Peter McCall and chief constable Michelle Skeer put up the ‘money and personnel’ to do the job properly last month.

Cllr Dew said: “They put an extremely competent chief Supt Rob O’Connor in charge of the operation and that resulted in the complete transformation of the event this year. We had police officers in uniform and in sufficient numbers to do their job. Everyone felt safe, including the gypsies. The RSPCA were there and even the animals did better, so it was a win-win.”

Cllr Dew admitted he caused a ‘stir’ last year by slamming the gathering. It earned ‘threats’ from human rights’ lawyers and ruffled feathers at police headquarters, he said.

“Last year the fair significantly impacted on Kirkby Stephen and for a time it resembled the wild west. We had horses galloping up and down Main Street and ponies tethered outside every shop. Normal life was brought to a standstill and it was complete mayhem. I felt we needed a sheriff at the time and all we had was two very forlorn police constables who were left to it.

“I was very critical of the police and gypsy-traveller community. I wrote letters and submitted articles reflecting the strength of local feeling as I saw it.”

Cllr Dew said he met with gypsy and traveller representatives in Kendal, Kirkby Stephen and Darlington, including Billy Welch, the Shera Rom, or ‘head gypsy,’ who he embraced as ‘Christian brothers’.

He said he had learned that the community viewed Appleby as a ‘sacred place with profound spiritual significance’ and praised the encouragement of Liberal Democrat councillors Pat Bell and Andy Connell for setting on a ‘journey of discovery’.

“In June 2018 I was berating Billy Welch and on the Friday of the fair this year I was sitting in his caravan drinking tea. I felt very privileged and very humbled,” said Cllr Dew, whose speech was applauded across the council chamber.