A cyclist who was camping overnight at a field in Devon was sprayed with slurry for 15 seconds after a farmer who saw the cyclist’s tent in his field got in his tractor to teach him “not to stay in anyone’s fields ever again”.
The incident, first reported by The Sun, was captured on video last week by Jack Bellamy, a third generation farmer from Tavistock, Devon with 200 cows and 650 sheep on his farm.
Bellamy sees the black tent propped against the hedge and gets in his John Deere tractor, before saying: “I’ll tell you what, these *****, they’ll f****** set up anywhere. They do not give a flying f***. They’ll go anywhere.”
He starts driving towards him, blasting slurry out of his tractor, even stopping just past him to get the maximum amount of manure on the cyclist, who seems to be caught completely unaware and is seen ducking behind the tent to shelter himself from the wall of slurry being thrown at him.
“I’ll tell you what chap, have a bit of this,” Bellamy says, while driving past him and filming with a handheld device at the same time.
Moment farmer blasts camper in SLURRY after catching him sleeping in a tent on his land pic.twitter.com/IzIsafeLYv
— The Sun (@TheSun) June 21, 2024
> How to wild camp responsibly with OS Maps and Cycling UK
Bellamy later told The Sun: “I went out in the morning because I had to get on. When I looked in the field I saw a tent on the freshly cut grass. There was someone camped right up against the hedge.
“I left him covered in slurry. He never said a word — he couldn’t really argue with that. I’m sure he had a nice evening there, but he didn’t have a very nice wake up call.
“He must’ve heard the tractor coming because he was out of his tent. I said ‘You won’t be staying in anyone’s fields ever again’ and then I drove on and carried on with my morning.
“When my dad went back later the tent was gone, there was a white patch where the tent was and the slurry hadn’t been. I would hate to think what he smells like now.
“There is a campsite 400 yards in one direction and 600 yards in the other but they just please themselves these people. We’ve had people from towns walking in the fields.
“There is 50,000 acres of Dartmoor nearby and he chose to camp in my field. They come up from the towns and think they can do what they want. We’ve had loads of trouble with dogs worrying the sheep.
“They wouldn’t like it if I went camping in their garden. They’ve got no knowledge of the countryside at all. They come up from the towns and think they can do what they want. They probably think food grows on a plant or something.”
It would be important to point out that wild camping is illegal and a civil offence in England and Wales, with the exception of some parts of Dartmoor. Campers must get permission from the landowner to camp, which includes tents and motorhomes, or risk being charged with trespassing.
Anyone who refuses to move faces fines up to £2,500 if caught breaking the rules, although first time offenders are likely to be charged up to £300. You could even face a prison sentence of up to three months if you refuse to leave when requested to do so by police. Wild camping is legal in Scotland, however, as long as local guidelines are followed.
The reaction to the situation has been mixed, with many anti-cycling views and opinions running rampant on social media. However, farmers themselves have been quite divided about the whole incident, with many calling it a “horrible thing to do” and “pretty grim and quite sad behaviour from the tractor driver” on the Farming Forum.
Meanwhile, environmental lecturer and Right to Roam campaigner Lewis Winks has criticised the farmer’s actions and offered an insight into the cyclist’s perspective, who as of now remains unidentified: “Consider this – you’re on a bike tour, alone but free. Exhausted after many miles on the road, scouting spots to sleep before continuing the next day. After an hour you opt for a discreet field edge.
“You wake up early and begin packing up, then this happens. Truly unjustifiable.”
He added: “Firstly, trespass is a civil offence – despite the best efforts of the dying Tory government. It’s a matter between the landowner and the trespasser, provided there are no aggravating circumstances. Common assault, however, is a criminal offence.”
This dude was bike touring – camping in a discreet spot, rising early, packing up in the golden opening of the day.
And he was assaulted by someone who calls themselves a custodian of the land. pic.twitter.com/Iyc6QLnkQG
— Lewis Winks (@curiousways) June 22, 2024
Winks then shared the Met Police’s stance on “camping without permission”, which recommends that landowners “talk to the people occupying your land and ask them to leave, if you feel safe to do that”, and reminds them that “you could find yourself guilty of several criminal offences if you forcibly attempt to remove them or their property.”
“Dialogue is the best course of action,” says Winks. “The rights of landowners are vast and sacrosanct in the UK – and far outweigh their legal responsibilities to people or nature. Including their own land which too often is also subject to abuse. Crying trespass distracts from the imbalance between rights and responsibilities.
“The rights of people – particularly those wishing to access land – on the other hand, are wildly lacking. Yet, we have a bedrock of historic and customary rights which have not entirely been swept away by property law. The civil attitude to trespass is in part an admission of this. Just west of where this incident took place is Dartmoor, where historic customs were written into bylaws in 1985, protecting wild camping; placing into stark contrast the farmer’s response.
“Secondly, on the notion of planning ‘better’,” he continued, “I’d wager that the majority of those with this view have never undertaken a long-distance expedition. If they had they’d realise that part of what it means ‘to plan’ is to prepare for the unexpected, to expect to change plans.
“I’d also bet that most of these detractors have not experienced wild camping and the feeling of freeing oneself from constraints of expensive, rigid, and scarce campsites in the UK. Elsewhere, such as in France, there are much better – more dependable networks of municipal campsites, but here it’s a nightmare trying to plan a trip based on private campgrounds which require booking ahead – and they’re often expensive and shite.
“Plus, of course, the sheer joy of waking up on your own with the golden light of a solstice sunrise, kettle on the boil, and on the road before the town wakes up, carefully leaving no trace of you being there. As for ‘you should have asked for permission’… just try finding out who owns the land in England while at a desk, let alone while on the road.
“And – to those who say ‘what about litter’. Our crisis is one of disconnection, it’s a lack of access to nature (not the opposite) which is unravelling our ability to know the land.”
Consider this: you’re on a bike tour, alone but free. Exhausted after many miles on the road, scouting spots to sleep before continuing the next day. After an hour you opt for a discreet field edge.
You wake up early & begin packing up, then this happens.
Truly unjustifiable. https://t.co/qRqLRJZ1CL
— Lewis Winks (@curiousways) June 22, 2024
Winks concluded: “This dude was bike touring – camping in a discreet spot, rising early, packing up in the golden opening of the day. And he was assaulted by someone who calls themselves a custodian of the land.”
As unlikely as it may seem, this isn’t the first time cyclists and farmers have locked horns.
Two years ago, a foul-mouthed anti-cyclist rant went viral on a Facebook page, and has been regularly reshared on social media numerous times a year ever since. i
The post says: “If I’m coming at you in a bloody great big tractor with 20 tons behind me on a single track road, do me and yourself a favour and STOP for one second, either move as far over to your side of the road or just step on to the verge if there is one, so I can pass safely, do not just continue at full speed and then piss and moan as you go past because if it goes wrong you’ll end up being pressure washed off a tractor wheel.
“Unfortunately for you we take all your space and we can’t help it, so unless you want to lend a hand either changing a tyre that’s blown out or shovelling up a spillage, then we’re not dropping our wheels into drainage grips so that you can continue your bicycle ride.
“Cars, horse riders and runners are capable of it, I seem to be missing something with cyclists, I presume either you don’t want to get your special bike dirty, you’re trying to beat your PB or more than likely you’re just a complete cock in general.”
Even more worryingly, in 2021, a farmer attacked a cyclist by throwing a billhook at his bike following a road rage incident in which he became enraged because the man was not using a cycle lane.
The cyclist shouted at the farmer in his VW Transporter that he had passed him too close, to which the farmer replied: “Well get on the cycle path then!”
He decided to follow the driver back to his nearby farm to ask him why he was so rude, when the farmer grabbed a billhook – which is used to trim tree saplings – and hurled it towards the cyclist, striking and damaging his £2,950 carbon framed Specialized Tarmac SL6 Sport Disc Road Bike.
Were you the cyclist involved in this incident? Email us at info@road.cc
113 thoughts on ““Have a bit of this”: Cyclist camping overnight in field sprayed with slurry from tractor by “annoyed” farmer who wanted to teach a “lesson” to trespassing campers”
From reading CPS guidance and
From reading CPS guidance and the law, it seems _no_ offence – civil or criminal – is possible _until_ the person on the land has been asked to leave and _does not_ leave in reasonable time.
The wild camper in this story was not guilty of _anything_, on the face of this video – given there was no request made for him to leave. Nor even any time given for him to do so, regardless.
The only one guilty of anything here is the farmer, assaulting the camper with slurry – which will be some form of assault, a criminal matter.
Very interesting Info, so
Very interesting Info, so would you say you are camping legally unless/until asked to move which you then must? Seems fair enough. But tbh this poor camper in a quiet corner of a field of grass should be legal imo, no damage or harm, in no one’s way.
it is legal, in Scotland and
it is legal, in Scotland and in Dartmoor (only a mile or so from the apparent location of this incident).
Plenty of other countries have a right to wild camp if done correctly, across pretty much the whole country. But England retains its weird feudal cap-doffing to large landowners.
Tory old boys club. And
Tory old boys club. And before the Enclosures Act half of England was common land owned by the community and free to use. Population issues aside we should have much more open access – especially so to a tiny edge of a grass field for a few hours.
The offence in law is
The crimnal offence in law is preconditioned on having been asked to leave, and not complying. So, yes, if no one has noticed and been bothered enough to ask you to leave, there can be no criminal offence – and thus it follows that you are behaving lawfully.
See: https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/trespass-and-nuisance-land
“Trespass is not of itself a criminal offence”. It’s only an offence in combination with other factors – including not leaving when asked. See the “Tables of offences” for the fine details, as the CPS sees them.
“”They probably think food
“”They probably think food grows on a plant or something.”
I’m quite sure that it does.
Doesn’t food grow on a shop
Doesn’t food grow on a shop shelf? Perhaps it’s because he’s got cows and sheep so food comes from an animal.
You’ve got me there
You’ve got me there
Let’s face it, the responses
Let’s face it, the responses would be totally different if it had been a long-distance walker who had discretely camped on a field margin. Because they were a cyclist, that skews the opinions of far too many people.
If one were to say, chuck a
If one were to say, chuck a banana milkshake at a frog-faced moron herder, one would (objectively) expect to get charged with assault.
So it’s strange that wilfully spraying an actual human being with slurry (all natural goodness & no artifical flavouring, so definitely no health hazard) could only lead to a celebration in the tabloid “press” rather than similar action. The times we live in eh?
If the farmer treats his
If the farmer treats his slurry with acid then he demonstrates knowledge of the corrosive aspect of it, so would be guilty of s.29 of the offences against person act as well as common assault (and GBH if the camper very likely gets sick).
Assault? That’s a biological
Assault? That’s a biological attack and should be treated the same as throwing acid in someones face.
I wonder is HSE would have an
I wonder is HSE would have an interest.
The constant references to
The constant references to people from the towns is giving a strong League Of Gentlemen vibe to the “third-generation farmer.” Makes me wonder how many branches there are above him on that family tree.
Whenever I see a farmer in
Whenever I see a farmer in town (Tweed gives them away, plus the crook) I always sneer at them and shout ‘get out of my bloody town, you don’t understand our ways, our tough low paid jobs on long hours. Do you think our taxes that pay for the Sustainable Farming Incentive grows on trees? These roads are for us not you now piss off out of it country-wa ker.’ Inevitably they don’t move so I call round Brian, he’s got a 12 bore, that gets them skuttling off’.
An appeal from me to the
An appeal from me to the camper involved if you are reading this.
Please do not let the farmer get away with this. You will probably be very uncomfortable and possibly burned and or poisoned by this act and this makes the assault (for that is what it is) more serious.
Get in touch with the police – there is plenty of evidence against the farmer and he will have a hard time pleading not guilty if it gets to court. I would also recommend contacting Cycling UK and asking their legal team for advice.
You will be entitled to compensation for loss and damages top your equipment and any possible ill effects caused by his actions.
Not pursuing the farmer for this act would be a dis-service, not only to cyclists but to any other person who may be in the same situation be they rambler or wild camper etc.
Mr Hoopdriver wrote:
This. If I was touring, I’d change my plans to make sure I got some justice for this!
I should think a charge of
I should think a charge of careless and inconsiderate driving would be on the cards too.
Yes, please. I hope that the
Yes, please. I hope that the Cycling UK Cyclists’ Defence Fund would be willing to support the victim in this.
Heavy handed, yes, but put
Heavy handed, yes, but put yourself in the farmer’s position. Working long hours often for low pay. People traspass on their land to save themselves the trouble of booking and paying to camp. Plus I’m sure some leave their plastic rubbish to be consumed by their livestock, with all the suffering, costs and hassle that goes with it. This guy wasn’t “wild camping” – he was trespassing on agricultural land and private property.
So can I take a dump on cars
So can I take a dump on cars parked illegally in the cycle lane / on the pavement?
Or throw excrement at speeding drivers & those using mobiles at the wheel?
Only if you’re low paid,
Only if you’re low paid, apparently. For some reason that makes a difference. ?♂️
Only if you video it put it
Only if you video it put it on Twitter and tag me up.
Clem Fandango wrote:
No, you can do it to ANY car based of the farmers logic as “Some drivers” do those things, you can take revenge on any other driver regardless of how well behaved and considerate they try to be
And that gives the farmer the
And that gives the farmer the right to assault somebody ?
YOU need your head looking at.
I’ve had plenty of low paid
I’ve had plenty of low paid jobs. It never occurred to me I could go round assaulting someone.
Yes, some people trespass and
Yes, some people trespass and it’s annoying, but the first reaction of any normal landowner is to ask them to leave and to politely tell them to make sure they take all their rubbish with them. This farmer did neither, he just went for a bit of out of all proportion assault and criminal damage. What a dickhead. Working long hours for low pay has absolutely nothing to do with it, I work long hours in two jobs but I don’t act like a prick in either of them. As for plastic and other waste in fields, much of it is windblown litter from the nearest road.
Low pay? That tractor is
Low pay? That tractor is worth more than your house. And they earn mega bucks judging by the new 4×4’s and Range Rovers they all drive. This isn’t the 19th Century anymore. And btw we are ALL descended from farmers, industrialisation is a new concept.
Wild camping was exactly what
Wild camping was exactly what he was doing.
Just because some people chuck their litter out of car windows doesn’t mean everyone out in the countryside does. Cyclists generally tend to have a better attitude towards the rural landscape than townies in their SUVs as they’re more connected to it, and not just viewing it from behind a glass window.
That may be so, but still
That may be so, but still doesn’t excuse him spraying slurry on the man and his kit. All sympathy for the farmer is out of the window once he starts assaulting people with toxic effluent.
There’s only one piece of
There’s only one piece of slurry in that video, and it’s driving the tractor.
i find the visual metaphor a
i find the visual metaphor a bit on the nose
“I’ll tell you what, these **
“I’ll tell you what, these *****, they’ll f****** set up anywhere. They do not give a flying f***. They’ll go anywhere.”
Ironically, those words describe the attitude and behaviour of an awful lot of tractor and combine drivers towards other road users, especially cyclists.
They are also as bad as anyone for using a smartphone while at the wheel.
And the forum twat who commented “Despite my dislike for cyclists, that’s shocking” shows the widespread contempt for people on 2 wheels, regardless of how we behave.
As someone who uses country lanes for the majority of my riding, I’ve had a few close calls and very occasionally abuse. A couiple of years ago a guy got out of his van to shout in my face, lecturing me loudly on which bit of the road I should ride on and that he’d run me off the road next time. Friends have had similar unpleasant tirades and threats. The police just don’t care so I won’t be reporting incidents in future (though I might ring the fire service once I’ve set the arrogant bastard’s barn on fire).
@danhopgood – the plastic (plus fast food and drinks cans etc etc) dumped on local roads is from people cars, not cyclists, so you can fuck right off and take your prejudices with you to your little cave.
There are some aggressive
Yep, there are some aggressive types / feckless youth driving big machines in the country also. I’ve mostly had good interactions – but that goes for humanity in general, if you’re careful!
TBF there are also some litterbugs who cycle, which shouldn’t be surprising. Unless the discarded inner tubes (really) I have (occasionally) encountered blew off a waste truck or were planted by drivists in a false flag operation (the car was shod with bike tyres to throw us off the scent…) (Still finding it hard to understand how you’d carry a spare but then just dump the old one? Maybe I’m missing something?)
Farmers are legally obliged
Farmers are legally obliged to clear up any mud they drop on the road if it’s a possibility that a cyclist could come off as a result. Which of course they dont.
chrisonabike wrote:
I’m sure there are a few but I can’t recall seeing anything that could be identified as cyclist-specific for many years. Meanwhile junk/fast food wrappers and containers, many still part-full, are everywhere (no, sadly I’m not exaggerating).
Jack Bellamy would have been going out to spread slurry on a field of grass, which would have suffered absolutely zero impact from the presence of a tiny one-man tent by the hedge overnight. Now he’s (in)famous for being a complete and utter arsehole.
Ha ha, they absolutely DO NOT! I sometimes get the impression they actually enjoy the mess and damage they cause to the roads, knowing they contribute fuck-all in taxes while getting so much stuff on the cheap.
Simon E wrote:
I agree on the fast food (plastic bottles) proliferation, but sadly I do see the occasional energy gel pouches where I’d find it very unlikely to come across runners. Unacceptable when they can either be rolled up and pocketed or decanted into gel bottles before the ride.
Considering how so many motorists claim cyclists should pay their mythical ‘road tax’, how about farmers pay directly to resurface the road past their fields and buildings which are always horrendously broken up and hazardous to ride over?
As for this particular assault, it’s absolutely disgusting, literally and morally. Simply engaging with the cyclist and politely telling him he wasn’t happy for him to be there, whilst telling him of the legal sites he’s so plainly aware of, might have been all that was required. The rider could easily have apologised and left relatively swiftly without any hassle. After all, how many solo cyclists would try and start something physical with a farmer driving a huge machine which could crush bike and tent?
The fact this moron has filmed it and proudly boasted of his actions should make this a slam dunk court case against him.
Should…
Tubulars maybe? They nor
Tubulars maybe? They nor usually worth the bother of repairing.
I’m not sure that whether or
I’m not sure that whether or not you reuse them is the point. It’s that if you’re able to carry a spare there with you, then you’re able to carry the old one away and dispose of it properly.
You probably have hit on the reason they’re dumped, though – inners or tubulars. It’s a selfishness – “this isn’t worth anything to me any more, so why do I care what happens to it?”
Simon E wrote:
Playing devil’s advocate: I have seen broken bicycle chains abandoned at the side of the road on several occasions, so unless there was an am-dram production of West Side Story locally then I’d imagine they were dumped by a cyclist?
How often do cyclists lose
How often do cyclists lose their chains in the middle of a ride? I think it’s safe to assume that what you describe is somewhat exceptional.
How often do cyclists lose
How often do cyclists lose their chains in the middle of a ride?
Agreed- I’ve never seen one. I have seen little collections of those little silver coloured cyclinders which I previously thought were CO2, but which I now understand to be more likely nitrous oxide thrown out by anti-social nutters.
wtjs wrote:
I see those, too, but I also see loads of gel packets on some of the popular cycling roads.
Nowhere near as many as you
Nowhere near as many as you see empty Big Mac boxes and coke cans I bet and yet they are just “rubbish” rather than car driver’s rubbish. Litter louts are one of my pet peeves but I recognise that they come in pedestrian, cyclist and motorist varieties in equal proportion.
The only rubbish that really
The only rubbish that really makes me think “cyclist” is banana skins, and even they could just as easily have been left by motorists.
john_smith wrote:
Lots of banana skins and orange peel is scattered across the dales after three peaks charity walks. I’ve not seen any cyclist-specific litter, I guess they don’t carry much and what they do carry they need.
john_smith wrote:
I agree, it is exceptional. Just the only definite ‘this was dumped by a cyclist’ example I could find. I’ve seen it about four times.
john_smith wrote:
Agree but has happened to me. Extremely indifferent maintenance and not having spare links / a chain tool (I’m not a great MacGyver) had me walking to the nearest station (luckily not far). I took the broken chain with though.
I’d say if this guy didn’t
I’d say if this guy didn’t have a bike with him the farmer wouldn’t have assaulted him like this. It’s common for tractor drivers to cut you up or give you a dirty stare and that’s on public roads so this is no surprise really.
But the angry tractor man wasn’t man enough to ask the guy to leave? Is he shy or something?
Clearly it was a premeditated assault with a weapon so hopefully the camper reports this online, it’s easy enough to do.
Speaking of which the poor guy was on grass as far into the hedge as he could get in a tiny little tent, he was doing his best to not have any impact on the farmer and his untouchable field! Little does he know everything he sells is bought by other people, maybe he should learn to live alongside his fellow countrymen.
That was truly disgusting. I
That was truly disgusting. I saw the video elsewhere. I hope the person whpo sprayed the slurry gets done for assault.
Unlikely…. they will know
Unlikely…. they will know the local Policeman: perhaps they drink in the same pub/are members of the same lodge/are brothers/sisters and this “problem” will be filed in the bottom draw under: “No further action.”
The only way to get justice for the cyclist is to sue… and then the District Judge hearing the case, if local, is also likely to know the farmer….
Farmer discharged, a
Farmer discharged, a biological agent at a person. sounds like a riddor reportable HSE incident to me, and assault.
This is the location I
This is the location I believe, just in case you find yourself in the area…
https://maps.app.goo.gl/qygWirLQFdxgXucn8
WTH that’s in the middle of
WTH that’s in the middle of Dartmoor just above Tavistock! I thought wild camping was allowed all across there? I’m sure this camper would have thought so too. Let’s withdraw our masses of tax-payers money from protecting the National Park and see how the farmer likes seeing 5,000 new homes going up around him like us in the towns have to put up with. We pay for this countryside you think you own brave tractor man.
Yes, there’s plenty of free
Yes, there’s plenty of free wild camping, but this spot is just outside of the area. It’s on a long distance cycling route, so I can see the attraction if you were late to the area and needed somewhere to stop.
https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/about-us-maps/camping-map
Or concievably, if you were a
Or concievably, if you were a little bit confused about where the boundaries of the dartmoor wild camping area lie. You are only a mile or so off (can’t quite see the scale on the map!)
Thanks for the info. Nice use
Thanks for the info. Nice use of an emoticon. Absolutely, you can’t drag a bike far from a road so a quiet corner of a field seems sensible. The area highlighted near the incident appears to be sloping steeply looking at the contour lines and it’s leading up to a Tor an area which from experience I’ve found to be full of bracken, brambles and very rocky. You can’t put a tent in thick bracken it will be torn plus the spores released in the summer by it are carcinogenic so to be avoided. So all things considered he may have been in the best place all round, ignoring hindsight ofc.
Just checked it on street
Just checked it on street view, I doubt anyone has ever camped there it’s extremely exposed both to weather and anyone driving past – you wouldn’t be safe at night from robbers/bike thiefs. The only small patches not covered with thick bracken or rocks are full of sheep who could nibble and damage your tent. Ridiculous. Not suitable for leisure camping. Extreme camping maybe.
It absolutely is only for
It absolutely is only for extreme camping. It’s simply open access land above a certain height where it’s not illegal to camp, rather than a specially provided free spot for camping as you might find in other countries.
It’s interesting how people
It’s interesting how people in other countries deal with finding a cyclist camping in a field:
I was once discovered camping in Georgia (the country not the State). The man was agitated and motioned for us to pack up and ship out. We obliged as he had a shotgun on his back. While we packed up he was making an animated phone call.
Once packed and loaded he forced us to steer our bike back to the road, up to the nearest village and then down his driveway. Waiting for us was his wife who had prepared a meal for us and beds for the night. He was angry that we wanted to camp when he had a perfectly good house nearby!
Why do we get such a different reaction in the UK?
When I raced at Hern Hill
When I raced at Hern Hill track a long time ago we had two consultant surgeons taking part in the races – I take it these are the sort of people the farming community hates.
As cyclist for main transport
As cyclist for main transport for 50 years, mostly in London, the farmer’s quote accurately reflects a large proportion of modern cyclists, ebikers, escooters.
As father of son who got into dairy farming after growing up very woke in inner city, I know most of that industry is old men who have known nothing else, have very low level of social skills, extremely stressed by workload while steadily losing money. And farm machinery is now so vast it fills lanes (as do big 4WD cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, bin lorries) such that I’ve not gone down some lanes with high sides and no space to step aside.
I’d blame and understand both sides here. Cyclist should use a campsite. Farmer likely lacks life experience, language skills, emotion set to explain things to this cyclist
E6toSE3 wrote:
True indeed
This farmer must have problems in life and searching a way to blow off some steam. To be honest, farm life, even in our modern times, is incredibly difficult for most of us urban dwellers. But also we all cycle here, maybe toured some of us, and we understand that sometimes you just want to lie dead on the closest flat place.
E6toSE3 wrote:
…would be more accurate.
You just don’t notice the vast majority who are pleasant, well-behaved, and socially responsible, so those who aren’t seem like a larger proportion than they really are. And that small proportion exists in all groups of people, whether they travel on two wheels or not.
Seen this a few times now and
Seen this a few times now and its still mind boggling. Poor bloke must’ve been shell shocked. Theres no way I would’ve let that slide, he’d have been out of that tractor for a hiding.
half_wheel79 wrote:
All keyboard and no trousers.
Benthic wrote:
Shocking what you people get away with on Zoom.
I was just about to say, why
I was just about to say, why’s he imagining me with no trousers on ?
They lack confidence?
They lack confidence?
Fake.
Fake.
What is?
What is?
alchemilla wrote:
MattKelland.
According to “the blackbelt
According to “the blackbelt barrister”, trespass isn’t actually a crime in England, only damages caused by it. Assault with slurry most definitely is a crime though.
That’s how I understand it.
That’s how I understand it. The person accusing someone of trespass must show they’ve lost out somehow….
Yes, that would be my
Yes, that would be my understanding too – the article above would seem to contain some inaccuracies. “Trespass” isn’t an “offence” – it’s a civil tort (“offence” means criminal). You also can’t be “fined” for trespass – the landowner can sue you for damages.
The £2,500 fine/potential prison sentence mentioned in the article has presumably been copied from some information pertaining to “aggrevated trespass”, which is a criminal offence.
I’ve been thinking about this
I’ve been thinking about this, and it could work out better than expected…..
If the Internet is true and the victim (the guy camping if there’s any doubt) was on a charity LEJOG to raise money for the cancer charity that helped his wife, and he was wild camping so that maximum funds could go to the charity, then a real backlash could happen.
Wouldn’t it be great if The Sun (and many readers) crowd funded a massive donation to that charity and replaced all the guys gear and offered him places to stay foc along the way. And made the farmer look a proper twunt.
Just my thinking out loud.
Anyone know if there is anything happening along those lines, as I’d be more than happy to contribute
Going by some of the
Going by some of the responses on various sites there seems to be a greater siding with the farmer than the cyclist such is the antipathy towards anyone who opts for two wheels to get around.
I too would appreciate a link to the fund raising page.
Have to say both biker and
Have to say both biker and farmer are way out of line! IF your going to camp on anyone else’s land, you have to ask FIRST; if you don’t, you deserve some measure of unmannerly behaviour. The farmer’s behaviour was inexcusable. Personally, I’ve always found farmers agreeable, even helpful.
Funny world you inhabit. If I
Funny world you inhabit. If I discovered someone camping on my land and I had a problem with it, I’d politely ask him to leave. No unmannerliness needed.
Only one of them was guilty
Only one of them was guilty of an offence though. The farmer.
Unfortunately the cyclist was
Unfortunately the cyclist was tresspassing. Not an offence against criminal law, but one against civil law. There is more to law than just the former.
In Scotland, the Right to Roam is much stronger and in this instance would not have come under tresspass. The incident happened in Devon. Even in an area of protected natural beauty, the public access laws are very limited.
Per notes below and elsewhere
Per notes below and elsewhere (just reporting – not a lawyer…) a) the trespasser has to be asked to leave (or presumably there are sufficient “get orf moi land” signs and fences around everwhere that you couldn’t claim innocent mistake) b) any response must be reasonable and proportionate (BBB has a video on that one – though different case?) c) there is a suggestion that the property owner has to show some “loss” (I wasn’t aware of that one).
b) certainly doesn’t apply and I’m unclear there’s any evidence of a) or c).
Luckily I stay in Scotland but yes, England is quite a different proposition, even in “open country” / access land (see e.g. the contested case of Dartmoor) as you say.
My understanding is the ‘loss
My understanding is the ‘loss’ bit is only relevant if they want to sue for damages. They’re entitled to use ‘reasonable force’ to remove you from the property, loss or no loss.
Matthew Acton-Varian wrote:
What civil law? If someone is on your land, does no damage, and leaves when asked, exactly what can you sue them for? Nothing…
The farmer on the other hand is guilty of both criminal offences, and damage for which the cyclist surely will be able to pursue a civil claim for (if it’s worth the costs).
The farmer is the guilty one here, not the cyclist. Civil or criminal.
It’s not an offence. It’s a
It’s not an offence. It’s a tort. The farmer didn’t suffer any financial loss which would have allowed him to seek recompense.
In Scotland it is becoming more difficult to roam in the highlands as many estates are now owned by overseas companies/individuals who have little understanding of the freedom’s allowed. Even then if you damaged or harmed land/livestock while camping you could still end up being sued. Lomond and Trossochs National Park has also banned wild camping around the shores of Loch Lomond.
Mmmm – torte…
Mmmm – torte…
Semantics….. The camper
Semantics….. The camper committed an offence that offended the land owner…. Play with words like a smart Alec, get consequences
disherwood wrote:
Consequences like a random anonymous person posting a sniffy reply. That’ll learn ’em.
Scarey wrote:
Why exactly would you “deserve” unmannerly behaviour? The cyclist was camped at the edge of a field where he could do no damage to the crops if there were any growing (in fact there weren’t anyway), so has done the farmer no harm whatsoever. The farmer could’ve simply said good morning, hope you’ve enjoyed your night in my field, you will make sure you take all your rubbish away and leave the place as you found it, won’t you? As others have noted, it’s high time we brought our laws more in line with those of Scotland to say that it’s perfectly acceptable to walk over or camp on agricultural land provided no harm is done to crops, infrastructure or livestock.
So assault is ”unmannerly
So assault is ”unmannerly behaviour now”. Wow. I’ll have to remember that one.
perce wrote:
To be fair, they said
So although the ‘unmannerly behaviour’ bit was still nonsense, they explicitly excluded what this farmer did from it.
Haven’t you been reading
Haven’t you been reading about police responses to e.g. near miss of the day? And further – the farm worker *was* in a motor vehicle AND nobody died. So that probably fits the “six of one and half a dozen of the other” evaluation criteria some police are working under…
When you roll up at 9 pm
When you roll up at 9 pm after a long ride, do you really think the probably early rising farmer will welcome a knock on his door?
I worked closely with one for
I worked closely with one for 25 years, and am acquaintances with a number of others. Let’s just say that they each have their own unique foibles and aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. Same goes for many of the cyclists I know though. None of them would have acted like the twat in the tractor.
I lived in countryside for 20
I lived in countryside for 20 years and went to school with farmers’ children. Some are OK, most seriously lack social skills.
The comments about UK campsites are very true; all geared up for motorhoming, very very few for cycle touring. Added to this the UK is a vile toxic country of cyclist haters, I’m not surprised by this tractor driver’s toxic assault.
I have experienced same issues with farm shops, who don’t like ‘hoards of club cyclists taking over their drivers’ tea room’.
15 riders spending £15 each is £225, many spend more and, if the cafe is good, more than one club ride will visit in a day.
It’s easy for a cafe to take in £4,000 of business over a weekend just from cyclists.
So I suggest this, as my local club does, rank the cafes and cease visiting the ones who have their tractor drivers sh1t all over touring cyclists….
Fly camping, stealth camping,
Fly camping, stealth camping, trespass or whatever you want to call it will only get worse now that so many campsite require on line booking, multi night minimum stays and frankly extortionate cost for the pleasure of putting up a tent in a poorly maintained field with hopelessly primitive and inadequate facilities. While camping was in the past something that could be done almost on the spur of the moment it is now overly regimented and frankly heading towards collective suicide
No sympathy. Cyclists are
No sympathy. Cyclists are their own worst enemies, riding 3 and 4 abreast so they can chat, ignoring cycle lanes and holding up road fund paying vehicles, running red lights, not stopping at zebra crossings or stop signs, the list goes on!
Don’t feed it!
Don’t feed it!
Hivizalways wrote:
I heard that they eat babies, pee in swimming pools and don’t return supermarket trolleys
Don’t return supermarket
Don’t return supermarket trolleys? Disgusting.
If you ever see one, be sure
If you ever see one, be sure to report it to the relevant authorities. They’ve probably got complacent for lack of reports.
The last reported sighting of
The last reported sighting of a cyclist around here was in 1953, and there seems to have been a lot of doubt about the credibility of the person who filed the report.
I had to buy a hat stretcher
I had to buy a hat stretcher last week because one of my hats had shrunk. My favourite as well. Anyway it seems to have done the trick and it seems to fit ok now. I think you are supposed to steam the hat before you use the stretcher but I was a bit concerned it might go out of shape so I didn’t bother. It seems ok anyway so I’m quite pleased about it. I still want to buy another hat though, you can’t have too many hats.
Are you sure your hats had
Are you sure your hat had shrunk though? I once had an aunt who had a problem similar to yours. She stretched all her hats (I can’t remember whether she steamed them or not) and was very satisfied with the results—for about three weeks, until all her hats appeared to start growing again. It turned out that her head had swollen because of the warm, humid weather. When the the weather turned her head returned to its original size. You could try checking whether your other hats have shrunk too. That should give you a clue as to what’s going on.
No it’s just the one hat, all
No it’s just the one hat, all the others, which have been stored better, are ok. Thanks for the suggestion though. Very helpful.
There are peregrine falcons
There are peregrine falcons in the tower of the church at the end of our road. They’ve been shouting all afteroon. What I assume was a juvenile was shouting its head off one day last week. It sounded like the others but its voice was a bit shriller and hoarser. I presume it was one of this year’s brood. It’s amazing how fast they grow up.
Couldn’t that be fatal? It
Couldn’t that be fatal? It must be full of pathogens and bacteria.
I remember from Jackass they said the most seriously ill or injured anyone got was Steve-O when he swam in some stagnant water that had manure run off in it.
What a shitty situation.
What a shitty situation.
Is the cyclist in question
Is the cyclist in question deliberately stealth camping or just too tight to pay?
If it’s the former he needs to be more military in his approach. If it’s the latter, tough luck.
Agreed
Agreed
As a seasoned cyclist, wild
I don’t see a problem…. Campers be respectful…. Discrete…. Then you’ll suffer no trouble
Lewis winks…. Couldn’t
Lewis winks…. Couldn’t disagree more…. Your approach is bad for wild camping….. Too entitled…..
You expect the farmer to follow rules of decency but don’t magnify the failure of the camper to seek permission….. Campsites nearby…. Use them
I have spent approximately 56
I have spent approximately 56 years of my life camping ‘illegally’, and you often have to expect trouble from the ‘get orf moi laand’ brigade, so you camp covertly. My most recent spots were on the Way of the Roses last autumn. I have been lucky so far in avoiding nutters like this ‘farmer’, and intend to ignore the nutters below with their stupid ‘use official campsites’ nonsense.