'Pentecostal' travellers who caused 'Mad Max' mayhem after attending religious ...

Travellers who brought chaos to a market town in England's smallest county have begun to leave the site following four days of 'Mad Max-style' mayhem.

Around 1,500 travellers descended on the Rutland Showground for the Pentecostal Gypsy-led Christian event, called the Festival of Light and Life, in Oakham, Leicestershire, last Saturday.

However the event saw thugs run amok and left traders too scared to open, with residents and local businesses making hundreds of complaints to police over the following days as some attendees caused 'absolute carnage' around the quaint town.  

There were also reports of drag racing, shoplifting and antisocial behaviour which forced some shops to close their doors and schools warning children not to walk alone.

Following the event, Leicestershire Police confirmed two arrests had been made in connection with the festival of Light and Life.

This morning, a stream of cars were spotted leaving the site and some travellers were seen helping clear up the litter sprawled across the field after a weekend of 'absolute chaos'.

Police officers also blocked vehicles from re-entering as motorists gradually began to exit.

Local resident Carl Ford, 55, said: 'The vast majority of them have been well behaved but a small number of them have caused absolute chaos.

'We will be glad to see the back of this event, which hasn't been well marshalled from the start.

'Last weekend was the worst but police did start clamping down on things over the following days.

'I saw somebody say it like something from Mad Max and that was no exaggeration for that opening weekend.

'Most people have been locked down in their own homes again until this all passes over.

'They don't seem to be showing any urgent signs of leaving yet either, although some of them have been heading off today. I just hope they take their mess with them.'

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said earlier in the week: 'I work on the street and live quite close by to the showground.

'I've heard how they've been weeing in people's gardens and then running through the high street banging on windows.

'It's been chaos and then there's the added traffic and all of their rubbish that they're just leaving around.

'They just seem to be dumping their rubbish and running riot around the town.

'It's a quiet place and we've only got a little high street but they've still found ways to cause havoc.'

The Rutland Agricultural Society hosted the event in 45 acres of field for 1,500 adults and children in their own motor homes and caravans.

Leicestershire Police said they received more than 100 calls regarding the event, mainly about antisocial behaviour and Covid breaches.

Superintendent Jonny Starbuck said: 'Initially we received over one hundred calls to police in relation to this event, mostly these calls to police were to notify us that it was happening and ask us if we were aware of the event.

'There was considerable anti-social behaviour reported and we have made two arrests.

'Since the policing operation was put in place we have seen these calls to police drop to twenty.

'We are aware of non-payment for food and shoplifting from local businesses and we are working with them to ensure the right action is taken.

'Mainly, we have had reports of anti-social behaviour and a few reports relating to covid compliance.

'We understand that anti-social behaviour can have a significant impact on the local community and I would like to thank them for working with us on this matter and I would encourage them to continue to report incidents to us.

'Again, we want to stress that this is a legal event and the majority of the people visiting are there to enjoy their faith.

'There are only a few who are determined to engage in this negative behaviour. We will deal with those who commit crime swiftly and robustly.'

This week business owners in Oakham described how they would finally re-open shops and restaurants after the religious festival.  

Shops on Mill Street, which is lined with designer clothes stores, art dealers and restaurants, had remained largely shut or open by appointment only since Monday.  

But gallery manager Suzie Beecroft said: 'It looks like we can finally open again after being closed all week. 

'It had been particularly galling to close our doors again because we'd only recently reopened after Covid but the gallery owners did not want to take any chances. I hope we can

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