Sir, Like many other Appleby residents, I was forced to endure the stark reality of the annual horse fair. My family and I have been forced to spend several days confined to the safety of our house, away from the noise, smell, disrespect and yobbish behaviour fuelled by alcohol.

I ventured out twice at the crack of dawn at the weekend for newspapers and had to tiptoe through broken glass, more rubbish strewn around our lovely town than I’ve ever seen and animal and human excrement.

I am a professional who has lived in Appleby for 18 years. On Monday morning I was due back at work. At 7-25 am in nurse’s uniform and wearing a name badge I was stopped by the police and breathalysed. I explained to the officer that I was late for my shift but my plea fell on deaf ears and the officer suggested he should be concentrating on those possible in breach of drink-driving laws.

During this unfortunate episode, several Transit vans passed by, perhaps carrying occupants not wearing seat belts and using mobile phones, running on dubious fuel and quite possibly driven by people still inebriated. To add insult to injury, I was spoke to by the officer as if I had been deposited from the tail end of a very large horse.

If this fiasco is to continue, perhaps those on Fair Hill should be asked to leave their vehicles there and asked to walk down into Appleby to help ease congestion, instead of cruising up and down Battlebarrow all weekend. Countries like France ask visitors to pay holiday tax. Surely this would go some way to help with the massive clean-up operation, while a council tax rebate for Appleby residents at this time could help to soften the blow.

I know I am not alone in feeling that with each passing fair the situation is becoming increasingly out of control and harder for us locals to tolerate. Why is it that each year the abuse of Appleby continues by individuals with little respect? Enough is enough — the invasion must stop. It’s no longer the romantic notion of the past. Yours etc,

S. MACDONALD

Appleby.