Police to deploy live facial recognition at Appleby Horse Fair for first time - as thousands of travellers make annual pilgrimage

Published: 12:06, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 12:09, 3 June 2026 Live facial recognition will be deployed at Appleby Horse Fair for the first time to 'capture' people who are wanted or known to police. Every year in the first week of June, videos begin cropping up online showing Travellers riding in their caravans and horse-drawn Romani wagons as they prepare to descend on the Cumbrian market town for Europe's largest traditional Gypsy fair. However this year, Cumbria Police's Fire and Crime Commissioner David Allen decided to make his own TikTok video to caution them about the live facial recognition (LFR) technology at the event. Chiefs have said the technology will be used to 'protect the public' at the rowdy horse trading show which will take place between June 4 and 10 and expects to see tens of thousands of Gypsy, Roma, and Irish Travellers. The decision came after locals complained it has become ever more unsettled over the past couple of years, with some branding it a 'wild west'. In the video, Commissioner Allen showed off the state-of-the-art kit police will use to keep order and warned: 'What I would say to those individuals who come to Appleby who are wanted or they are known to police, this (LFR) will capture you. 'You might want to think about whether this is the best place for you to be during that week.' The fair first began in 1685 after a charter was granted by King James II and now attracts over 10,000 attendees who take part in horse trading and display. A video posted on TikTok shows Travellers in traditional wagons making their way to Appleby Horse Fair Chiefs have said the technology will be used to 'protect the public' at the rowdy horse trading show which will take place between June 4 and 10 and expects to see tens of thousands of Gypsy, Roma, and Irish Travellers The decision came after locals complained it has become ever more unsettled over the past couple of years, with some branding it a 'wild west' Live facial recognition uses cameras to capture real-time images of faces and compares them with a predetermined watchlist to identify individuals who may be of interest to police. Before each deployment, Cumbria Police will compile a secure watchlist that includes individuals wanted by police or the courts, as well as those who may pose a risk to themselves or others. If the technology generates an alert, officers will compare the camera image with the person in front of them before deciding whether to speak to them. Any alerts are verified by an operator prior to an intervention by officers on the ground. The system will only seek to match those individuals placed on the watchlist. Each watchlist is unique to that event where the technology is being deployed. Those approached will be told why and given an informational leaflet with contact details. Detective Superintendent Dan St Quintin, gold commander for the fair, said: 'We have large crowds and large numbers of people in quite confined spaces - similar to a football match in some respects. 'The Live Facial Recognition technology will help us to identify the minority who are either intent on causing trouble or here to commit crime. 'Once we have spotted the potential troublemakers, we will have our officers on the ground able to approach the individual, take them to one side, and speak with them. 'Every year we are seeking to make the event as safe as we possibly can for all communities who engage with the Fair and I am confident Live Facial Recognition will be an effective tool in 2026 and beyond.' Cumbria Police said the technology supports their commitment to using every available tool and innovation to keep the public safe, deter crime, protect the vulnerable, and locate the most serious of offenders. Four stolen vehicles have already been seized by officers last Friday as part of their pre-fair policing operation, including a car, two horse boxes and a wood-chipper. DS Quintin said: 'We make no apologies for targeting criminality as part of this operation. 'Many of those attending the fair are law abiding citizens; however, we will not hesitate to take action where we find vehicles to be stolen. 'Appleby Horse Fair is the Constabulary's largest annual policing operation. 'The public can expect officers to carry out necessary checks and act where they see offences, without fear or favour and regardless of which community the individual belongs to.' The fair first began in 1685 after a charter was granted by King James II and now attracts over 10,000 attendees who take part in horse trading and display Four stolen vehicles have already been seized by officers on Friday as part of their pre-fair policing operation, including a car, two horse boxes and a wood-chipper Travellers at the side of the A65 road near Giggleswick, North Yorkshire, as they make the journey to Appleby Horse Fair Women pictures riding their horses bareback through a town on their way to the annual fair One of the two horse boxes that were flagged up as stolen and seized by Cumbria Police on Friday The force have advised those making the annual pilgrimage not to arrive too soon in advance and to take extra care when driving their horse-drawn bowtops and caravans. Out of the 123 arrests made at Appleby last year, 80 were for drink or drug driving. This was the highest number of arrests seen at Appleby in recent years - compared to 74 in 2024, 42 in 2023 and 18 in 2022.   It was one of the busiest on record, with the number of caravans and bowtops recorded as 1,307 – up from 1,287 in 2024. Officers at the 2025 fair also issued more than 370 Traffic Offence Reports and more than 120 vehicles were seized including for being suspected of being stolen, being suspected of having been used in a crime, causing an obstruction and driving without insurance. A vehicle fire at the last event also sparked a multi-agency response, while one man was charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an animal after he allegedly punched a horse and a woman previously disqualified from controlling animals was caught being in charge of a horse and arrested. A trailer with a horse on board arrives in Appleby town centre, Cumbria, on the eve of the 250th Appleby Horse Fair which officially starts tomorrow  A family arrive on a horse-drawn cart in Appleby town centre today as they prepare for the fair tomorrow Police arrive in numbers in Appleby to enforce restrictions on horse traffic on the eve of the event Those travelling to the fair can take breaks throughout their journey at the eight temporary stop over areas in County Durham or any of the 80 in Cumbria. Temporary facilities for horse tethering and sulky parking at Appleby Library car park will be in place, with Blue Badge parking provision allowed on some bays at the library from Thursday to Sunday, organisers said.  Meanwhile, parking restrictions have been put in place at Murton village green and Church Brough and Edenside car park is closed until 9 June. The weather in Cumbria is not ideal for the outdoor fair with temperatures set to cool down and outbreaks of rain forecasted for much of the county. Jubilee Ford - a river crossing on the River Eden which is heavily used during the event - will be closed due to significant erosion on the southern edge of the crossing, which has created a substantial drop into the river. Westmorland and Furness Council has set up 30 large bins around Appleby to help keep littering to a minimum. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.