THE traditional Appleby Horse Fair is officially under starters orders for June as long as restrictions on certain animal movements are observed.

DEFRA's chief vet in Cumbria Andrew Haywood says the event, which was cancelled last year due to foot-and-mouth restrictions, can go ahead because horses are not covered by animal movement curbs.

He said that, in any case, movement restrictions are due to be lifted on May 15, before the fair.

However, goats and sheep will not be welcome and the thousands of travelling people who make their way to the annual market are being asked not to bring them.

If they do come to the area they will face a quarantine period of 20 days.

Keith Morgan, of the Appleby New Fair Joint Committee, said organisers were delighted to hear that the show could go on this year.

"The economic and cultural loss to Appleby and its visitors caused by last year's cancellation is something we would not wish to see repeated," he said.

At a special fair meeting, gypsy representative Walter Lloyd suggested that record numbers of travellers might head for Appleby to re-assert the importance of the fair, because of the break last year.

One new feature of the fair, which is scheduled to run from June 6 to June 12, will be increased safety measures to separate pedestrians from horses.