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Farmers given government guidance on how to be less rude to trespassers who’ve lost their way

Dark & Erie Area, Private No Access sign
Farmers are advised to use 'friendly language' to tresspassers on their land in the new Countryside Code. (Getty/stock photo)

Farmers should be less rude and “use friendly language” towards trespassers on their land, new official guidance says.

The new Countryside Code, launched by Natural England, advises farmers and land managers who find walkers trespassing on their land that “visitors rarely mean to trespass” and to ask them if they are lost and help them get back to paths or areas they are allowed on.

They have also been told not to use “misleading” signs – such as claiming to have bulls in fields – in an effort to deter visitors.

Land managers are also encouraged to help visitors behave responsibly, securing gates open if they want people to leave that way, considering safe-closing gates or signs if they want them shut, and keeping land free from rubbish which could encourage fly-tipping.

National Farmers Union (NFU) deputy president Stuart Roberts said it was important to ensure that everyone who visits the countryside “is provided with greater awareness of the need to keep safe and responsible” as well as “the role farming plays in shaping our much-loved working farmed landscapes”.

British public footpath sign in Worcestershire as the Countryside Code is updated. (Photo by: Dominic Jones/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Countryside Code says walkers 'rarely mean to trespass'. (Getty/stock photo)

He added: “The NFU has been working closely with Defra and Natural England on a refresh of the guidance for farmers and land managers to bring the Code up to date and help address an increase in access-related issues such as keeping to public rights of way, ensuring dogs are under control and dog waste is binned.

“The new guidance will help to ensure that the modern-day rights of way network benefits both farmers and the public.”

Other recommendations in the code include adding self-closing gates instead of stiles where possible to make access to the countryside for the public easier, while there is updated advice on reporting criminal or threatening behaviour to the police, and reporting noise disturbances and fly-tipping to the local authority.

There is advice on creating a safe environment, including stacking bales safely, using and storing chemicals responsibly, managing trees, and warning visitors of hazards in the landscape.

A man and woman with their mother wearing backpacks on a hike surrounded by nature in Rothbury, Northumberland. The mother and daughter are walking through a gate that the son is holding open for them.
Other recommendations in the Countryside Code include adding self-closing gates instead of stiles where possible. (Getty/stock photo)

And there is guidance on managing and protecting livestock, including what to do if a dog is chasing farm animals, including a warning that farmers should only shoot a dog worrying livestock as a last resort.

The Countryside Code was refreshed last year in a bid to help people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy the countryside responsibly – with advice such as saying hello to other people, staying on footpaths, and bagging and binning their dog’s poo.

Natural England chief executive Marian Spain said: “I urge all land managers to follow this new advice and continue to help make nature accessible to everyone, so people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the invaluable health and wellbeing benefits that nature offers, while giving it the respect it deserves.”

But Sarah Lee, director of policy at the Countryside Alliance, said the updated code has 'put an onus on landowners', rather than ramblers, adding to the Daily Mail: “It is important to remind visitors that each of us have a personal responsibility to abide by rights of way and respect that the countryside is a full time place of work for many.”