Crop circle appears in field
near Alnwick Motorists, cyclists or walkers
heading south from Alnmouth towards Warkworth may have spotted what
could be evidence of visitors from another world as two crop
circles or markings have appeared in fields. In one, a circular
shape can be clearly seen and the other is a more random
arrangement, both in a field of ripened crops.But in the past,
crop circles in north Northumberland have been branded ‘vandalism’ and
the cost to farmers has been counted. Northumberland Estates
confirmed that people had been seen
making the circles in the field on August 19, 2011.
There had been much speculation about the artistic creation in a
field near Hawkhill, between Alnwick and Alnmouth, on land
belonging to the Estates’ Percy Farms. At the time, a National Farmers’
Union spokesman said: “It’s trespass, it’s vandalism, it’s
stealing, it’s whatever you want to call it, it’s breaking the
law. “That area won’t be able to be combined and harvested and if
it’s on about an acre of land, at about three or four tonnes an
acre at £150 or £160 each tonne, that’s £500, so it’s a costly
thing. “If someone broke windows to that amount, they would be in
trouble. People have been locked up for doing far less in the
riots. “People may say that it’s the Duke’s land and he can afford
it, but can they? And it happens to small farms as well, it’s just
stupidity.
“They are stealing because they are taking money away from that
farm. It doesn’t only happen to the big landowners. What about the
guy next door with 100 acres?”
A spokeswoman for the Northumberland Estates said: “While some
might see it as an amusing prank, it is in fact vandalism which
has resulted in part of a wheat crop being destroyed and wildlife being
disturbed at a time when many birds and animals are busy rearing their
young.” SOURCE:-
Northumberland Gazette |