'Beliefs' plague traveller site

Thousands of travellers head to Appleby each year

A site set aside for the travelling community is not being widely used because of superstitious beliefs surrounding the death of a boy.

Many travellers en-route to the Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria camp on road verges rather than Middleton Common.

The aversion is thought to have begun about 15 years ago, when a boy was electrocuted at the site near Sedbergh.

Traveller spokesman Billy Welch said some had used the common this year, but that "old-fashioned beliefs" existed.

Thousands of travellers, many with horse-drawn caravans, traditionally make their way into Cumbria for the Appleby fair, camping overnight at designated sites or at the road side.

Local authorities work with the visitors and the local community to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum.

It's a culture thing - we're very old-fashioned in many of our beliefs. Billy Welsh, traveller spokesman

Maureen Stewart, support services manager at South Lakeland Council, said: "We help the travellers find safe areas to stop in overnight, preferably where there is no traffic flowing by.

"There is plenty of space at the common, so if they were to use the site, it would be safer for everyone, but we're led to believe that someone died there and they stopped using it.

"However, some travellers have used the common this year."

If the site were to become more widely-used, extra facilities could be introduced, she added.

Traveller spokesman Billy Welsh said: "It's a culture thing - we're very old-fashioned in many of our beliefs.

"There have so far been no problems with us using the sides of the road, but obviously it would be better for the community and travelling people if the common were used.

"Hopefully, in time, more will start using it."

No major problems have been reported ahead of this year's festival, which begins on Thursday and runs until 12 June.

Three members of the travelling community have been killed in recent years after vehicles collided with horse-drawn caravans on their way to Appleby.