Travellers riding horses and carts caused widespread disruption across leafy Surrey yesterday – running red lights, colliding with cars and wreaking havoc on the roads. Witnesses described scenes of “mayhem” as up to 100 horse carts sped through roads, with one mother saying her children were left terrified after a horse crashed into her car as she slammed the “lawless behaviour”.
The disorder turned nasty at a local pub which was forced to close after being overrun by a large crowd. The mob reportedly pulled bottles from behind the bar and smashed them on the floor, leaving employees frightened and forcing them to shut the pub.
In response to the carnage, police imposed a dispersal order across Elmbridge – where average house prices sit at £1.5million and famous Premier League stars call it home – giving them the power to break up groups of two or more people, reports the MailOnline.
The order will remain in effect until 3.55pm today, with locals told to expect additional patrols.
The affluent town, often referred to as “Britain’s Beverly Hills”, is home to former footballers like John Terry, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard.
Locals reported roads being shut, plans ruined, and streets littered with rubbish. Witnesses also claimed some individuals were urinating in public and swearing in front of children.
One resident wrote on Facebook that he saw around 60 carts heading toward Hampton Court: “It’s not the kind of horse racing you expect. They’re running red lights, crashing into each other — it’s chaos.”
A pub landlord, speaking anonymously, said the group arrived around 3pm and quickly overwhelmed the venue.
“They only had a couple of drinks before it turned rowdy,” he said.
“They were behind the bar, pulling bottles down and smashing them. It was frightening — we’re just a small village pub, not set up for this.”
The group left horses tied up in roads and driveways, and within an hour the pub was forced to shut its doors to clean up and protect staff, the landlord said.
The landlord said he was concerned that the horses were not properly under control as he could see the riders on their phones at the same time.
Last year, his pub was threatened with a £250,000 discrimination lawsuit after refusing to serve a group of 50 people. He said the lawsuit had left them in a “difficult position”
“If we refuse to serve them under grounds of safety we are likely to face prosecution for disrimination, but when we do serve them they just take over and smash the place up. We don’t have any protection,” he said.
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