Travellers’ horse fair returning to fields by village

A TRAVELLERS’ horse fair is returning to Mountsorrel for its annual event, after visiting the village twice last year.

The annual Betty Hensers Horse Fair is back for four days next weekend.

The fair has been criticised for causing chaos in previous years, due to traffic problems on the A6 and littering in the countryside.

However, last year’s event went off without any major incidents, said police.

Police posted a update on Facebook to say it would be monitoring the upcoming event, off Betty Hensers Lane.

Signs have also been put up to let residents know about the fair, which takes place from June 30 until July 3.

Last year, officers issued a thank you message to everyone involved in the June event, saying the event had passed without any major incidents, although there were reports of criminal damage caused to narrowboats in the marina next to where the fair was held.

One resident hit back at the police praise, claiming the fair caused “chaos” in the area at the time.

She told the Mercury: “We visited the Waterside Inn, a local pub, and spoke to the manager who said they had been visited five times by the police and once from the council asking if all was well, which unnerved them.

“There were boys firing a gun at the narrowboat windows and at a swan, as well as three teenage boys using trail bikes along the A6.”

The post on the Charnwood Police Facebook page said: “The Betty Hensers Horse Fair will be taking place in Mountsorrel from Thursday, June 30 to Sunday, July 3 with signs already up in the area making residents aware.

“Leicestershire Police is working with partners to liaise with the event organisers, the landowner, local residents and businesses in the lead up to the event, to assist with planning and to help with minimising the impact to traffic and local communities.

“Police officers will be carrying out high visibility patrols in the village and surrounding villages during the day and night across the four days to offer reassurance and to respond to any incident.

“If you see us, please come and say hello and have a chat with us”.