A LAWYER acting for gipsies banned by police from running their ponies along a market town's high street at the end of an annual fair, says continuing the ban next year could be in breach of a royal charter.

Tradition has it that King John granted a charter allowing Yarm to hold a fair for the sale of goods and livestock. In 1207, Peter de Brus, Lord of Skelton, was granted the right to hold a weekly market and two one-day fairs at Yarm. Centuries later, permission for the town's annual October fair was granted by Charles II.

Solicitor David Yorke said: "Without the travellers you won't have a charter fair. It will probably be the end of the charter."

Yarm Town Council is taking the claim seriously. Vice chairman Councillor Philip Addison said: "We will have to take legal advice as to how it stands."

The council is to meet Cleveland Police and travellers' representatives on November 7.

Coun Addison said: "We have called a meeting to try and resolve things."

He said townspeople as well as gipsies were upset at the decision by police to ban the trotting of the gipsy ponies, known as flashing.

"There were a number of residents of Yarm who came down to see the horses trotting up and down the High Street," said Coun Addison.

The meeting will look at extending the closure of the High Street to traffic during the Saturday climax of the fair - the Riding of the Fair - which would allow horse dealers to trot their ponies through the town centre.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: "We can confirm we will be in attendance at the meeting. We look forward to meeting all parties to discuss the matter in depth."

Mr Yorke said: "We only want a short time for what is known as the flashing, which is seen by local people as part of the tradition of the fair. For travellers it serves two purposes. It gives them the chance to show off their horses and their horsemanship."