Neighbourhood Alert, Sussex Police and Rural Crime Teams
As we move into harvest season, it is an extremely busy time in the countryside. Farmers across Sussex are working long hours and there will be an increase of tractors and other farm vehicles on the roads. Respect for and awareness of other road users is all the more important at this time.
We always ask motorists to take care on country lanes, especially when approaching bends.
Be patient when following farm vehicles on main roads. That sudden impulse to overtake could result in a serious collision.
That slow moving tractor briefly delaying our journey is a critical part of the process in putting food in our supermarkets and restaurants. We also ask tractor drivers to stay mindful of the risks too and pull over periodically when safe to do so, allowing other motorists to pass.
Rural Crime Team officers have been speaking with many landowners over this last month and the topic of dog fouling on farmland raises much more than an unpleasant odour. If it isn’t bagged and binned then the waste can end up in a hay bale destined to feed dairy cattle.
That could mean ruined livestock feed and potentially harmful bacteria making cattle ill.
The National Farmers Union have produced some excellent weatherproof signs available to farmers across Sussex, highlighting the importance of proper dog control and clearing up waste.
[First printed October 2018
