Re-introducing something into a civilised society that we can well do without spells madness to me and, I would imagine, to most sensible thinking folk.

We’re already having to live with, or may have to live with the likes of the grey squirrel, crayfish, beavers, wolves and some massive birds of prey and now some folk who still believe in fairies want to bring back the lynx after it having been extinct in these islands for some 1,300 years.

Six of these wildcats, it is proposed, would be released in the north of England after being fitted with satellite collars to monitor their movements during a five-year trial - that is if a formal application made this week by the Lynx UK Trust is successful.

In a statement, Natural England said: “Any decision to grant a licence to reintroduce lynx into the wild will be based on the impacts on affected communities, the wider environment and follow international guidelines.”

When these killers have been let loose, they may never be recaptured and, in August last year, farming organisations called for urgent reassurance that any formal application would trigger a full independent impact study and consultation.

“A thorough, independent evaluation of any proposals put forward is what farmers expect,” NFU regional director Adam Bedford said then adding: “This is an area almost wholly dependent on sheep farming and times are tough. Any unnecessary additional pressure on these fragile businesses is simply unacceptable and the government must respond accordingly.”

The Union’s countryside adviser, Claire Robinson, re-iterated last week: “Any species reintroduction, particularly if it hasn’t been in this country for hundreds of years, can have a massive impact on the many benefits that the countryside delivers - local wildlife and biodiversity.

“Our biggest concerns would be the impact on the safety of livestock. We have not seen any evidence that there are adequate plans to mitigate this concern and there is no evidence that lynx will stay within woodland or forestry. In the time since Lynx last appeared in this country, the habitat around us has changed dramatically, our population has increased drastically and on top of this, we do not know how Lynx would behave in the current environment.

“The NFU confirms that it will continue to engage with the licensing body, in order to safeguard members’ serious concerns.”

Hazard area

Farmers are more likely to be killed on-farm than on the roads, according to a health and safety inspector.

Revealing some of the frightening statistics of work-place fatalities and how dangerous farming really is, Eddie Wall said: “This year, so far, we have had 15 farm deaths up to the beginning of July. There has also been 30 work-place fatalities so far this year; half of these have occurred in the agricultural sector.

“Fifty-seven per cent of the deaths in agriculture occur on dairy farms and 2,000 farmers, on average, will be treated in hospital this year as a result of a farm accident; despite the perception being - it won’t happen to me.”

Tractors and machinery are the major causes of farm deaths, accounting for over 50 per cent of fatalities. Livestock, slurry gases and falls from heights are other major causes.

“If you ask any farmer, they’ll all tell you pto shafts should be guarded, but we’re still finding them open on machines - farm machinery doesn’t care whether it’s a bale of silage or a human limb.

Survivors of farm accidents talk about how quickly things happen; in a blink of an eye they have lost limbs.

Sixty-seven per cent of those injured on the farm are unable to work for between 10 and 100 days.

“Three-quarters of all farm accidents involve the farmer themselves. The next 20 per cent are direct family members. Who’s going to run the farm while you’re not there?” Wall questioned August, with the school holidays .

During and many people around who are unfamiliar with farming ways, farmers and farmworkers are urged to be particularly vigilant.

Explanation

A wife comes home late one night and quietly opens the door to her bedroom.

From under the blanket, she sees four legs instead of just her husband’s two.

She reaches for a baseball bat and starts hitting the blanket as hard as she can. Once she’s done, she goes to the kitchen to have a drink.

As she enters, she sees her husband there, reading a magazine. He says: “Hi darling, your parents have come to visit us, so I let them stay in our bedroom. Did you say hello?”

Uncertain future

So many sections of British farming have, over recent years, become heavily dependant upon foreign labour - some permanent and others seasonal.

Pembrokeshire farmer Meurig Raymond - president of the NFU - last week drawing urgent attention to an official report - Vision for the future of farming: Access to a competent and flexible workforce - noted that British people were generally unwilling to work in agriculture because it was perceived as low paid, low skilled and lacking career prospects.

It warned that the entire food supply chain was at risk, saying: “Creating an immigration system that recognises and meets the specific requirements of the agricultural and wider food industries will be critical if farming is to continue to deliver the irreplaceable services it provides to the British public.”

Mr. Raymond commented: “It is crucial that the government addresses these concerns immediately to ensure that farming has access to a competent and reliable workforce, now and post-Brexit.

Highlights from the report: 75 per cent of seasonal labour in the horticultural sector is recruited from Romania and Bulgaria; 35-40 per cent of staff working on farms in the integrated egg industry are from the EU-27; 58 per cent of workers in seasonal poultry production are from outside the UK; 56 per cent of dairy farmers surveyed in 2016 said they employed labour from outside the UK over the previous five years; 85 per cent of official vets in approved meat establishments are non-UK nationals and 63 per cent of workers in the meat processing plants are from the across the English channel.

Countryside CrimeWatch

There is very little of what goes on in the countryside goes unnoticed and now the NFU in Wales has teamed up with a police rural crime team to launch a new countryside crime manifesto.

Released at last week’s Royal Welsh Show, the Combatting Rural Crime report reveals case studies that explore issues faced by farmers and their families throughout the UK, including vehicle theft, fly-tipping and sheep rustling.

Hedd Pugh, the union’s rural affairs board chairman, said: “Violent crime such as sheep rustling, sheep worrying and fly-tipping are just a few examples of the crimes farm businesses are being subject to.

“The cost of rural crime in the UK reached £42.5 million in 2015 and NFU is urging Governments and the Home Office to ensure increased and fairer funding for rural policing. More than 1,000 rural police stations in the UK closed between 2000 and 2012, directly impacting the level of police surveillance.

“There are many very good examples of police forces taking action and implementing good practice to deal with rural crime, with great success. Indeed, the North Wales force are one of the leading rural crime teams in the UK -they have been very proactive in engaging with the agricultural community in order to understand the problems and look at tangible solutions, and this should be widely praised but we believe more joined-up thinking is needed from police forces together with local authorities and Government to address these issues.

The NFU urges Governments to take the lead to ensure all constabularies adopt strategies of accurate recording and target setting and are willing to work together to find positive solutions to these challenges -farmers should not be seen as a soft target for criminals.”

Police spokesman, Dave Allen, commented: “It is apparent to anybody involved in agriculture that the whole issue surrounding livestock attacks is becoming more and more of a problem. With attacks often involving the death of animals, distraught livestock keepers and pet owners, it is plain to see there are no winners with a livestock attack.

“Our focus is about prevention and education - the nature of attacks, the scale of the problem, police response and the issues with the current legislation. Therefore, I welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with all farmers to tackle this issue head on.”

New task

On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple is involved in a fatal car accident. The couple found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into heaven. While waiting, they began to wonder: Could they possibly get married in heaven?

When St. Peter showed up, they asked him. St. Peter said: “I don’t know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out,” and he left.

The couple sat and waited, and waited. Two months passed and the couple were still waiting. While waiting, they began to wonder what would happen if it didn’t work out; could you get a divorce in heaven?

After yet another month, St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled. “Yes,” he informed the couple, “you can get married in heaven.” “Great!” said the couple, “but we were just wondering, what if things don’t work out? Could we also get a divorce in heaven?”

St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard onto the ground. “What’s wrong?” asked the frightened couple. “Oh come on,” St. Peter shouted, “it took me three months to find a priest up here! Do you have any idea how long it’ll take me to find a lawyer?”