MORE than 400 East Lancashire farmers gathered in Clitheroe as part of a drive to reduce the increasing number of injuries and deaths from agricultural accidents.

The event at Clitheroe Auction Mart was organised by the Health and Safety Executive to highlight the prevention of the most common farming accidents and target the farmers with whom it has had little contact in recent years.

The day brought back memories for one farmer, who relived his own horror story.

Longridge farmer Morris Airey said: "I had a couple of accidents when I was younger. I trapped my hand in the baler, which fortunately only left me with a big scar, and I also broke my foot in a tractor.

"The safety and awareness course has been extremely beneficial to me and, I expect, to many others as it has helped us learn preventative methods for farming accidents such as the ones I experienced."

Thousands of people are injured each year in agricultural accidents, with the latest reported incident in East Lancashire on February 7 when haulage contractor Eric Tricklefield was hurt when he was attacked by a steer.

He had lowered the tailgate of his transporter at Rose County Foods, Sawley, when the steer ran out and knocked him over.

Mr Tricklefield was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary, but was later released before returning to his home in Derbyshire.

The safety awareness day was set up in conjunction with the Northern Rural Partnership, Lantra and NFU Mutual and featured role-playing exercises on the most common accidents and how they can be prevented, including handling terrain vehicles, power take-off shafts, roof work, livestock handling, manual handling, dairy and pesticide concentrates, clearing blockages in machinery and child safety.

Each demonstration was given by a representative from Lantra - the Government's Sector Skills Council for the land-based sector - who go around the country speaking to farmers on the dangers of their workplace.

Nationally, there were 53 agricultural deaths last year - five from the North West - which was a rise of nine from 2000. The death toll for the 1990s was more than 500 and there have been four fatal accidents at farms in East Lancashire in the past five years.

Health and Safety Executive principal officer Roger Kendrick said: "Almost all of these tragedies could have been avoided by greater planning and by focusing on safe practices.

"None were freak accidents that could not have been foreseen or prevented.

"We hope the course will give show farmers the risks involved and to let them see for themselves what can happen and how accidents can be prevented."