NORTH Dorset residents are being warned to brace themselves for the arrival of “tens of thousands” of visitors to the annual Great Dorset Steam Fair.

While North Dorset District Council has welcomed the contribution the massive influx of visitors brings to the local economy in late August and early September, it has admitted it can also lead to problems ranging from traffic congestion to illegal encampments.

It has warned homeowners living close to the site at Tarrant Hinton to make sure they secure out-houses, sheds and barns, which are tucked away out of sight and can be easy targets for petty criminals.

The district council also cautioned homeowners to be wary of offers of work from itinerant labourers such as tarmac crews. It advised residents to make sure that if they accept an offer to re-lay their drive to make they know what they are getting and for how much.

Landowners have been advised to secure gates and other access points to open ground where illegal encampments could be set up. The district council advised that removing uninvited guests from private land is the responsibility of the landowner and can be costly and time consuming.

A spokesman for the district council said: “The Great Dorset Steam Fair creates an enormous amount of work for local public services.

“Dorset County Council Trading Standards officers are kept busy on the site checking the credibility of some traders and the legitimacy of their products.

“North Dorset District Council has the task of licensing the alcohol, live entertainment and food retailers at the fair, while St John Ambulance and NHS services have to cope with anything from slips and trips to life threatening situations.”

Dorset Police has the job of keeping traffic moving on the A354 and surrounding roads. This will be compounded on the August Bank Holiday weekend when the End of the Road Festival takes place a few miles up the road, at the Larmer Tree – at the same time as the steam fair.