ADDITIONAL manpower to police the Simmons Park area during Okehampton Fair will not be paid for by the town council, members of the parks committee agreed last week.

The fair is held in the park in October and following last year?s event, Okehampton College principal Chris Powell wrote to the council expressing concern about vandalism to college property during the fair.

Town clerk Don Bent told the committee he had attended a meeting between the police, the college and the showmen at which the problems had been discussed ?at length?.

He said the police could provide extra officers to monitor the site during the fair ? but only at a cost of more than £40 per hour.

Mr Bent told councillors he, and the fairground operators, felt Okehampton?s community policeman, assisted by a couple of special police officers, should provide adequate security cover.

?The fair wasn?t aware there was any problem last year ? neither were the police,? he said.

Cllr Charles Letchford said: ?I can see no reason why we should pay the police to be present when it?s a public order matter. It?s part of their budget.

?We are constantly being told we have more police than ever before, we are constantly told the crime rate is low, so what are they doing?

?I would strongly object to this council paying the police to maintain public order.?

Cllr Tony Leech, mayor of Okehampton, said he was surprised the police were not made aware of any problems at last year?s fair.

He suggested the council could look at the way the fair was arranged on its pitch next to the school, but he was opposed to the idea of moving it away from the park and to Okehampton Showground.

?It would make it extremely difficult for the youngsters to get to,? he said.

Cllr Mark Slater suggested a ?buffer-zone? might be created between the college and fair, so anyone moving between the two could be easily seen.

The committee agreed the clerk should write to the police and the college, suggesting the deployment of the community policeman plus some special officers was adequate police cover for next month?s fair.