THERE was controversy at the weekend when residents in Thame noticed throngs of caravans descending onto the town.

Hundreds of caravans parked up at Thame Show Ground as members of Darlington Christian Fellowship Group held an event.

Thame Agricultural Association (TAA), which owns the site, said it had agreed and signed a contract with the organisers.

But the association did not anticipate the number of people coming, citing that 5,000 people were on the showground.

TAA posted a message on popular Facebook site, Spotted: Thame, which read: "Further to lots of posts in social media we would like to put the record straight on a few points.

"As previously stated yes the showground was booked and fully paid for by the "Darlington Christian Fellowship Group".

"There were background checks done on the group and all checked out and passed, they paid in full plus a deposit, they hired and paid for two large roll on roll off rubbish skips, they hired and paid for Biffa bins and also toilets.

"This booking was taken in 'good faith' by the TAA, there is no one person to blame it was as far as TAA believed a normal showground hiring and nothing more."

Claims on social media circulated that members of the convention had been cutting down trees but the TAA confirmed that this did not occur.

They added: "We would ask the people of Thame to just try to let this religious group have their get together and hopefully there will be nothing major reported, and unless individuals have seen things with their own eyes then please don't start with rumours or Chinese whispers, that's how things get blown up out of proportion."