A fire at Appleby Horse Fair in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria has ripped through a tent and stalls, and engulfed a van. Video footage of the incident was taken from the fair, which attracts thousands of gypsies from across Europe. The video was shared to YouTube and the fire could be seen tearing through a white van which was set up in a corner of a field alongside a stall and several tables. The clip, which is over 15 minutes long and shows police on the scene, has been viewed over 7000 times. Firemen could be seen tackling the blaze as fair-goers watched on. It has since been brought under control.

Before the arrival of any emergency services, a man could be seen throwing a chair onto the burning white van, to laughs from the crowd. "Might as well", one man could be heard saying on a video posted to TikTok. The historic fair sees gypsies submerge their horses in the River Eden before trading them in auctions. However, there are concerns that the practice is unsafe as many of those taking part can't swim. One attendee has caused a stir online after calling on fellow fair-goers to take their horses in the water, despite not being able to swim herself.

Source: Daily Express