FAMILIES whose estate was invaded by horseboxes and trailers today are calling for new measures to keep out travellers in the run up to Appleby Fair.

People in the 36 homes around Sudburn Green, in Staindrop, County Durham, woke to find dozens of wagons pulling onto the grass.

By 10am the green and nearby roadsides were full.

For the next four hours residents watched horses being paraded across the green, until the crowd dispersed as quickly as it had arrived.

One resident said: "We found it very intimidating and are worried that more trailers will come back.

"Now that people know the green is here, we don't want travellers stopping off on their way to Appleby.

"We don't know who they were or why they came, but police told us they has shown them a permit which gave them the right to be here.

"We aren't even allowed to park our own cars on the green, so why should they come?

"We heard that some of them were from Staindrop and the organiser was from South Cleatlam, so why didn't he organise it there.

"Everybody is very upset about it. There are some elderly people living here and there was a lot of noise and shouting.

"They left horse muck on the grass where children play.

"It looked as though they were parading their horses. There were a lot of big BMWs and new Range Rovers pulling trailers and one massive truck."

Police would not comment on the incident. An officer in Barnard Castle said that a statement would be issued on Monday.