A LEADING activist for gypsy rights has branded the first of this year’s Stow Horse Fairs a “disaster” after extremely muddy conditions derailed the event.

Thousands of gypsies from all over the country descended on Stow-on-the-Wold for the first of this year’s twice-yearly events, but thick mud from days of heavy rain made the event a washout.

Vera Norwood, former mayor of Stow and president of the National Gypsy Council for Education, Culture, Welfare and Civil Rights described the event as a “disaster”.

“It was just awful,” she said. “It was so muddy you couldn’t walk around.

“The owner of the field has asked to be allowed to put down a gravel path but the District Council won’t allow it.

“It’s totally ridiculous – it’s all very well saying it’s an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, but Tesco was built in the AONB and people don’t have to climb through a muddy field to get there.”

The Horse Fair was previously known as the Stow Fair, but the Town Council recently ruled it was not a proper charter fair, and forbid the organisers from using that name, instead asking that it be called the Stow Horse Fair or the Gypsy Gathering.

Police were out in force during the event at Maugersbury Road field supporting RSPCA and Trading Standards officers carrying out checks at the fair.

More than £20,000 worth of suspected counterfeit brand-name clothing was seized by trading Standards officers, along with around £4,000 of cash from those suspected of selling the goods.

One young horse was also seized by RSPCA officers over concerns for its welfare and one person was reported for the illegal sale of potential pets.

A 50-year-old man from Rochester was arrested and issued with a formal caution for possession of amphetamine, and a second trader was also issued with a caution for possession of cannabis.

Speaking the day after the fair, Gloucestershire Police Chief Inspector Rob Priddy from Gloucestershire Police said he was pleased with the operation.

“We hope that the actions taken yesterday act as a warning to others engaging in these types of activities that they will not be tolerated,” he added. “We will be looking to run similar operations in the future.”

Officers from Gloucestershire County Council were also on-hand throughout last week teaching visitors to Stow library about gypsy history and customs.