With the Easter Bank Holiday weekend well underway, the message from Island farmers is to follow the rules during the coronavirus pandemic.
As people seek alternatives to popular beaches and parks, farmers have seen significant increases in people making use of footpaths instead.
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) on the Island is urging anyone using public rights of way to maintain social distancing requirements, especially when walking near or through farmyards, and to follow the countryside code and to keep dogs on leads near livestock.
Matt Legge, chairman of the Isle of Wight NFU, is also urging people to use hand sanitiser or gloves when opening gates or climbing styles. He said:
“Some rights of way are seeing in excess of 50 people an hour using the same routes and handling the same gate latches etc.
“Very few of these people are currently considering the risk of passing on the infection to other path users or those who live or work on that land.”
The Isle of Wight Council has produced a poster which home and landowners who have a public right of way running through or very close to their property can print out and use on site.
It has been designed to encourage walkers, horse riders and cyclists to be considerate at this time by taking simple steps, such as:
- keeping to the path and not stopping to play or have a picnic;
- keeping dogs on the path and away from other people and animals;
- not entering buildings, touching animals or equipment or approaching any staff;
- staying two metres apart from other people at all times;
- leaving gates as you find them and hand wash/sanitise after touching any shared surfaces, such as stiles or gates.
Councillor John Hobart, the council’s Cabinet member for environment and heritage, said:
“We all recognise there are multiple health and wellness benefits to getting out and enjoying the countryside but it’s absolutely vital we all heed guidance during these difficult times.
“It may seem harmless to walk wherever you want, but this is a critical time of year for our farmers. There’s a narrow weather window to get crops planted and we’re in the middle of lambing too, so getting ill will have a huge impact on their ability to produce food for the coming year.
“Please be very considerate and aware of what you and your dog are doing when using the rights of way network during this Covid19 lockdown time.
“You may not realise what a big impact you could make to the lives of the landowners or landworkers around you, as well as other members of the public even though you believe you are not doing anything wrong – but these are unprecedented times.”
To download the poster, click here or visit https://www.iow.gov.uk/Council/OtherServices/Public-Health-Coronavirus-COVID-19/Council-services-changes and scroll down to ‘Rights of Way’ in the table.
This is great as a reminder for all but also maybe a shout out to the farmers who are hurling abuse at walkers as they walk would be great…. being shouted at across a field on a public bridle way “if that dog comes off the lead I will shoot it” then hearing what I took as a shot gun being loaded was rather intimidating for me and my children when we weren’t doing anything wrong at all!
Where we live we can only walk on footpaths and bridleways and to be intimidated like that wasnt fun at all!
Surprised that you were threatened in such a way.
Most farmers have the sense to realise that we are not living in feudal times now. And there are sadly many ‘types’ who, if threatened in such an ignorant way would, bide their time, and then cut fences, torch the barns or farming equipment, let animals out, slash tyres, etc. as the victim KNOWS where the farmer lives, and not visa-versa. That is the sort of nasty over the top retaliation that happens on estates should anyone report a bad neighbour, as the aggressor knows the chance getting caught is minimal know.
So, my advice to any Farmers is to firmly but politely warn people of the dangers from a distance, meaning shouting my be necessary but not aggression and threats especially if threating to use a gun near the public on a footpath. A Police matter to be threatened with a firearm whilst having a dog on a lead I would assume.
A similar event happened to me a few years back, was out walking and the hunt were on the downs, our little dog was old and semi blind, so we to avoid the hounds, cut across a field, no crops just grass downland.
Suddenly two men come charging out of the woods with guns, telling me to go back. I calmly explained the situation and still they said to go back, but I had no intention of doing so, and as they were carrying guns, I knew that any aggression on their part would look bad in court, so I carried on and eventually they saw sense and we left on reasonable terms.
People are fearful now, but no excuse to be nasty, and as I say with the victim knowing where the landowners land is, a huge risk in these spiteful times we live.
No farmer has the right to shoot a dog on or off the lead, providing its under control. Best to exercise caution when near to livestock and put dogs on a lead.
A farmer can only exercise the right to shoot a dog should it be caught worrying livestock, and quite rightly to.
Another reminder to farmers do not point a shot gun towards a foot path / bridle way.
Suggest you report this behavior to the Police
If you were being shouted at across a field you wouldn’t of heard a shotgun being loaded from that distance
Sadly it would appear that this virus is far, far more serious a threat than is realised by most. There is a likelihood of those who have had such and survived, then either becoming re-infected again, or the virus has never truly left them and comes back far more aggressively.
This clearly has massive implications as IF so, then the lockdown can’t go on for ever, so the seriousness of this is deeply disturbing.
Read the article, but remember like much about this vile illness, a lot is just educated guesswork so don’t overly worry, just be informed and avoid everyone where possible in or outside your confines, and bear in mind that the media LOVE bad news spreading, it is their bread and butter.
https://inews.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-uk-risks-worst-hit-europe-government-adviser-2536618
Report it to the Police
Very sensible advice here especially regarding gates and stiles.
Sounds like farmers have had a gutful of the increased traffic across their land from lockdown, may be its been brewing for some time. Perhaps they should put some ‘Beware of the farmer’ signs up (‘Beware the Bull’ always makes me think twice about entering a field!). No excuse for waving shotguns and violent threats though, not cricket.
Being a metal detectorist on the island for many years and have detected on most farmland on the island I must say the island farmers & tenants are the most pro island people you could care to meet …and purely stating take care when on there land ….because gates & turnstiles are used by many without gloves so could be a potential cv outlet
The farmers have every right to remind dog walkers to keep their dogs on a lead when walking in the countryside. Too often we hear of dogs attacking and killing or maming their animals, mainly sheep and their newborn lambs. It’s horrendous to hear. Some people are so stupid, once they get off the beaten track they let their dogs off and don’t give a fig about any animals that might be around. I would shoot a dog that was off lead and attacking my livestock…..if I were a farmer, which I am not. So all the inconsiderate numb skulls out there, keep your dog on a lead and under control when walking in the countryside or face the consequences!