Wickham , Hampshire Thursday 20th August 2015 The 176 officers were moved from their roles across Hampshire to work at the Wickham Horse Fair in May, with additional costs of £5,289 on top of the constabulary’s everyday running costs. Chief Superintendent Scott Chilton, head of joint operations at Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, said the numbers were vital to ensuring the event was crime-free. He said: ‘The travelling community has a right to do it every year and that cannot be stopped. We need to make sure it has a minimal impact on the community.’ The Wickham Horse Fa
Wickham , Hampshire Thursday 20th August 2015 The 176 officers were moved from their roles across Hampshire to work at the Wickham Horse Fair in May, with additional costs of £5,289 on top of the constabulary’s everyday running costs. Chief Superintendent Scott Chilton, head of joint operations at Hampshire Constabulary and Thames Valley Police, said the numbers were vital to ensuring the event was crime-free. He said: ‘The travelling community has a right to do it every year and that cannot be stopped. We need to make sure it has a minimal impact on the community.’ The Wickham Horse Fair has run in the town for hundreds of years and is protected by a Royal Charter from King Henry III, dating from 1269. It is the oldest horse fair in the country and sees travellers come from all over to trade horses on May 20. A Freedom of Information request to Hampshire Constabulary requesting the exact breakdown of officers, time worked and costs for the fair was rejected by the force, which said precise figures could affect public safety at future fairs. But Chief Supt Chilton confirmed 176 officers were involved in the planning, policing and clear-up of the event, carrying out a range of tasks from office work to street patrols over three days. Chief Supt Chilton said in previous years there had been serious disorderly conduct – such as in 2014 when a brawl broke out in the street, and a bare-knuckle fight in 2009 – so police were required to protect the safety of the general public, although this year was incident free. © uknip/ Alamy Live News
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