Police prepare for Stow's spring horse fair (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Police prepare for Stow's spring horse fair

POLICE have reported a couple of minor incidents in the run-up to the annual Stow Spring Fair today.

Stow Grange reported two traveller teenagers tried to steal a pair of swimming goggles from the store and the Leather Shop said a group of travellers got aggressive when asked to leave, although no damage was done. No arrests were made.

In another incident, officers carrying out routine checks recovered a Compass Emperor caravan on the A436 Oddington Road which had been stolen in Essex two years ago.

The police will be out in force today in high visibility patrols in and around the town.

Local officers are being supported by colleagues from Warwickshire and mounted officers from Thames Valley Police.

They will be adopting a friendly approach to resolve any problems that arise quickly and amicably, but they have warned that if this fails they will firmly intervene and use all the powers available to them.

The county council has raised road verges around the town and used a roping off system to avoid parking problems.

Chief Supt Dean Walker, the new commander of the Cotswolds and Stroud Division, warned that officers would issue parking tickets to the owners of illegally parked vehicles.

The county council and Cotswold District Council are putting measures in place to deal with recurring fair issues of sanitation and traffic congestion.

Portable public toilets will be provided in Maugersbury Lane car park, next to the permanent toilets and skips will be placed at the entrance to the fair field and the car park.