A PUNTER was arrested for knocking out a man’s tooth in one of several brawls during Cheltenham Festival.
Anti-social behaviour in and around the racecourse was ‘substantially decreased’ during the four days of racing’s biggest meeting.
There were several altercations during the 2023 Cheltenham Festival – but overall trouble was down compared to previous years
But there were still ten arrests at the track itself, with two people taken away for allegedly stealing money.
The Racing Post report that one man was arrested for fighting and ‘knocking another man’s tooth out’.
Cheltenham council introduced paint that pees back in a bid to deter from people urinating in public.
There were also more police patrols during the week which led to fewer complaints from the public, with Gloucester police reporting 547 incidents during the four days.
Chris Nelson, Gloucestershire’s police and crime commissioner, said: “After the disgusting anti-social behaviour that marred last year’s festival, and the years of disruption faced by local residents, I was very clear that enough was enough and that we needed a real focus to crack down on this sort of unacceptable behaviour.
“That’s why I called together all of those involved and asked for a new focus on the impact on the community caused by the festival, and that has led to the joined-up action and better grip on the situation that we saw this year.
“Unfortunately some clearly still haven’t got the message but we have a good foundation from which to learn for next year, and show continued commitment to making sure the festival is a safe and enjoyable event for everyone.”
Cheltenham attendances were down on normal, with a train strike on the Thursday causing chaos.
Overall, there were almost 40,000 fewer people coming through the gates.
Racecourse bosses had reduced the capacity to 68,500 every day in order to improve the raceday experience.
