TOUGHER measures on gipsies and travellers using a Dales road to get to Appleby horse fair have been introduced.

Councillors agreed to allocate £10,000 to help tackle problems in trouble spots of Kirkby Lonsdale, Cautley and Sedbergh at a meeting of the South Lakeland local committee.

A temporary traffic order will be introduced with a no-waiting zone on Cautley Road at a cost of £5,000.

The order will come into effect from May 1 and will last for around six weeks, and gives police the right to move people on from within the zone.

A further £2,000 will go towards providing skips and toilets at points along the same stretch of road and £3,000 will be spent to help meet residents’ concerns about anti-social behaviour.

Cumbria County councillor Geoff Cook, chairman of the local committee, said: “Last year saw some issues in South Lakeland which hadn’t been addressed before.

"This funding will see a more robust approach in dealing with anti-social behaviour and tackling highways problems, and I hope the proposals will see a more enjoyable time for residents and visitors to the horse fair during May and June.”

Coun Kevin Lancaster, county councillor for Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale said: “These new measures are absolutely essential and help us to move people on if they are in places they shouldn’t be. If visitors arrive too soon we can tell them to go back again. We were unhappy to have them in the Lune Valley for two months last year and we want them to be here for more like two weeks."

John Challoner of the Cautley Neighbourhood Group said: “Things have deteriorated over the last few years and we’re pleased to see that there’s now a determination of public officers to resolve the situation for everybody’s sake.

“The migration of gipsies last year lasted six weeks and the congestion of caravans was appauling.

"In a one-mile stretch of road we had 80 caravans which isn’t pleasant for anybody.”