9 Nov 2018
Police statement in response to Loughborough Fair safety concerns
Please see below the statement from Leicestershire Police regarding safety concerns being shared online about Loughborough Fair:
We are aware of concerns being circulated online and on social media about the safety of people attending Loughborough Fair this weekend.
Among these concerns are suggestions of there being reported stabbings since the fair opened on Wednesday evening.
We are also aware of people sharing messages stating that police have advised residents not to attend the event.
We are not telling people it is unsafe to attend.
To date there have been no reports of any violent incidents at the fair.
There have been some minor incidents of antisocial behaviour which has resulted in the force putting dispersal orders in place.
Powers under Section 35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act (ASB) allow officers to disperse people who are likely to commit crime or disorder or behave in an antisocial manner. The dispersal order will continue to be in place from 6pm this evening until the early hours of Sunday Morning in and around the fair.
People attending the event can expect to see local officers on patrol and engaging with visitors as they have done over previous years.
We know that the fair is an extremely popular annual event for the town with thousands of people attending and we will continue to work closely with Charnwood Borough Council and the fair’s organisers to support the event.