Travellers call for meeting with MP - County Durham

From the Peterlee Star

A Traveller spokesman has challenged Easington MP Grahame Morris to meet and explain the reasoning behind his claims that “travellers feel they are above the law”.

Eddie Richardson, mouthpiece of the Travellers who have for the past four years held the controversial Horden Horse Fair on land at the village’s Seaview Industrial Estate, says the MP’s comments are unfounded.

He wants the Labour politician, who is calling for the fair to be scrapped, to meet with him to discuss concerns after Mr Morris told the Star last month that the annual fair had caused “disruption and anxiety” to locals. The fair is said to have divided the community.

Police chiefs say the event had passed off without incident, but some locals and businesses claimed their lives had been disrupted by it.

Mr Richardson, 48, who is usually based in Houghton-le-Spring, said: “We have not been that much of a nuisance and Mr Morris’s complaints are unfounded. I would welcome a meeting with him to get the background on the complaints instead of it being hearsay. All I can do is defend the fair. If it was next door to your house you obviously wouldn’t be happy with it, but I see no reason why it should stop.”

Mr Morris previously said the “annual blight” was not supported by residents and criticised police for their handling of reported cases of racing on local roads and alleged mistreatment of animals.

This week Mr Morris said: “I’m happy to meet Mr Richardson. Since the last article I have met a lot more people with concerns especially about what was happening on the industrial estate with travellers putting horses on there causing damage, throwing stones and making a nuisance of themselves.

“Some of the businesses are talking about moving off the estate.

“We are supposed to be trying to attract jobs and employment opportunities but if the horse fair is going to detract from that I really can’t support it.”

Mr Richardson added: “Things will go wrong and we will get the blame, if you have a gathering of any kind you will get good and bad.”