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Apologies if it's been discussed already, I searched for slurry and nothing came up.
I saw a video today of a bike packer bein sprayed by an angry farmer with slurry. The opportunistic camper was forced to hide behind his tent to shelter from the incoming spray.
Anyone have the back story to this? It could possibly be someone who visits this forum.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/28620921/farmer-shoots-poo-slurry-wild-camper-tent/
Not sure why he's literally decided to nationally publicise his own details and the fact that he did it, but takes all sorts I guess.
I think the backstory is that he was touring LEJOG for charity, and had the misfortune to run out of light and set up camp in a field owned by a complete ****.
Who then rather than ask him to leave, as is the correct response to trespass, assaulted him by spraying him with shit.
I'm all for a bit of wild camping but that is not wild camping.
That's trespassing...
BUT showering him in Shit is unforgiveable and probably assault.
Yeah, it's trespass, but the only one committing a criminal offence (and being dumb enough to admit it to the Sun) is the farmer.
Farmer Jack Bellamy sounds like a balanced and intelligent individual.
“We’ve had people from towns walking in the fields."
“They’ve got no knowledge of the countryside at all."
“They probably think food grows on a plant or something.”
“They probably think food grows on a plant or something.”
This did strike me as an odd thing for a farmer to say. But then there's a lot to unpack in that article really.
^ how much of the UK is wild and can be wild camped 'legally'?
Let's face it's, this contractor (they won't be the landowner) in the tractor responsible for doing this is a ****. There was no need for this, obviously, but like many tractor drivers (around me at least) they are above the law; See speeding/constantly being on the phone/etc.
No idea what time of day it is, but said camper should really have been up and gone first thing & better hidden!
Edit: not clicking The Sun
I was thinking too he should have got going earlier!
I also thought it could be a set up video.
On the SDW I've done similar but in a bivvy bag. Id not be comfortable putting a tent up to be honest but even so that farmer is just needlessly confrontational. It's obvious the guy wasnt there as part of a group having a noisy booze up. It was 6am, give the guy a ticking off if you feel it necessary and tell him you'll check he's gone in half an hour. If you really have to be that way.
The old turn up late, leave early rule usually works. Leave nothing behind either, that goes without saying.
A word from the farmer, an apology from the rider is all that situation needed.
The Sun legal info at the bottom of the page is the really important part. It points out that in Scotland, this likely wouldn't have been a problem. The real issue is the terrible land access rights we have here in England. That's the scandal, not the guy doing the lajog.
Who'd a' thunk it?
A reactionary prick in charge of a big old bit of agricultural machinery acting like a **** and asking questions, never...
please someone tell me young Jack is getting charged? I'd love for it to go to court.
That was a silly place to 'wild camp' but obviously spraying someone with slurry is completely disproportionate, and I suspect assault so hopeful farmer mc nasty faces some legal recriminations since there is clear evidence of what he did!
The old turn up late, leave early rule usually works. Leave nothing behind either, that goes without sayin
A word from the farmer, an apology from the rider is all that situation needed.
Absolutely. And for all the "farmers think they are above the law" stuff, lots of bikepackers and cycle tourists will confirm that farmers often let them use a field, open space and other facilities.
So is the farmer being reported for the attack?
he was touring LEJOG for charity
From what I read over the weekend, he was doing it for charity in memory of his dead wife.
Farmer is a *waffle with a completely disproportional response. There may have been campsites nearby but if he was riding late into the night I don't blame him for not wanting to go and disturb people that may have already been asleep. That's assuming he knew there were campsites there. Nowt wrong with what the cyclist did IMO and I'd have done the same (albeit probably been up and off before 6am, especially at this time of year).
Most farmers near where I live are decent human beings. But like all walks of life, there's always some * unnecessarily taking delight from someone else's misery. I "wild camped" a dozen times last year in England and had zero issues or interactions with anyone. Mostly in the Peak District
So is the farmer being reported for the attack?
I would hope so, but as we've not heard from the cyclist involved, I suspect he is too nice a bloke to want to take it further.
@johndoh
Free Member
he was touring LEJOG for charityFrom what I read over the weekend, he was doing it for charity in memory of his dead wife.
Have you got a link mate? Not because I dont believe you!
Id genuinely like to have a read up. Sad to hear that's his reason for the ride and I hope he can put this behind him.
Round here we have a problem with dickheads parking their cars on bridleways (saw one actually parked on the South Downs Way yesterday), so I enjoyed the linked story about the Mercedes getting the slurry treatment. Nonplussed about the camper tbh. I wouldn't want to be covered in poo, but then I wouldn't camp in a farmer's field.
I can only find this online, a fair few farmers aren't to happy with the tractor driver either apparently.
https://road.cc/content/news/cycling-live-blog-24-june-2024-309017
The internet needs to find this cyclist and what charity he was cycling to raise money for
That was an abhorrent assault
Reassuring to read most of these comments:
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/farmer-camper-and-slurry-muck.411503/
I think most reasonable people would see that as an moronic response. Being on a well trodden route like LeJoG I'd expect you get more than your fair share of people thinking in a bit of an insular manner - see NC500. People go into 'mission mode' forgetting that the locals see tens of people a days also having the same 'unique' adventure. But even still.... And this bloke didn't seem to be doing anything more than being possibly a bit cheeky. There's campers leaving disposable BBQ and cans everywhere and playing music long into the night...then there's middle aged blokes in one man tents and scoffing a bag of jelly babies.
Beyond the reporting to police etc..........how do you get sorted in that situation - your entire world covered in shit, hundreds of miles from home with no water source nearby. Nasty.
^^Id just like to bung his charity a tenner if he had a page up really.
that's my neck of the woods. not seen anything on local news channels.
On a lighter note, are we sure it wasn't Trump?
I’m from a farming background, most farming folk I know are decent, hard working and thoughtful people. In the same situation, my farming relatives would have had a chat with him and probably invited him for breakfast.
Clearly there are ****s in all walks of life that give the majority a bad rep
I’m all for a bit of wild camping but that is not wild camping.
That’s trespassing…
All wild camping is trespassing in England and Wales excluding Dartmoor.
And TBH I've camped in similar spots. He's not visible from the road unless you're looking hard, it's early morning (6am would be barely 8hours sleep after sunset) so within the bounds of "arrive late, leave early", tucked into the edge of the field not obstructing anything or flattening a crop.
I’ve done similar but in a bivvy bag
Too many energy gels?
Rubber_BuccaneerFull Member
I’ve done similar but in a bivvy bag
Too many energy gels?
Lol, funnily enough I did have the trotts on one SDW attempt that I put down to od'ing on energy gels! I sorted the bivvy bag but I got through a few leaves.😉
Flap jacks were a far better/ safer option!
Apparently he was doing a charity LEJOG for a cancer charity in memory of his recently deceased wife and was trying to bikepack it so that he could maximise the money going to charity.
The Farmer's an arse and I hope he ends up in court, the cyclist was mildly in the wrong but the response was waaaaaay out of proportion.
The internet needs to find this cyclist and what charity he was cycling to raise money for
This, I'll drop a few quid in if it can be found and verified.
Great to see most of the comments on the farmers page were just as outraged.
I'd bung him a tenner if anyone finds a link.
Apparently there was a similar case in Staffs and the magistrates fell like a ton of bricks on the farmer despite a guilty plea.
If the cyclist is found he really needs to take this further.
I dont really do SM admittedly but I've yet to find the guy. I hope someone in here does.
I sorted the bivvy bag
I need to clarify that bloody predictive! I meant "spared" rather than "sorted", as in "filled it up".😁
My understanding is that this would not have been legal in Scotland. In Scotland you have the right to camp on unenclosed land
But I’m not in Scotland so I’m happy to learn from those that are
GCN story right there.
Could be Si Richardson, he likes cows.
#gcn
Lol, funnily enough I did have the trotts on one SDW attempt that I put down to od’ing on energy gels! I sorted the bivvy bag but I got through a few leaves.😉
Flap jacks were a far better/ safer option!
Wouldn't they abrade the **** out of your arse? Not very absorbent either....
My understanding is that this would not have been legal in Scotland
Hang on, sorry. Which bit? You *seem* to be implying that the farmer's actions were legal in England!
Hang on, sorry. Which bit? You *seem* to be implying that the farmer’s actions were legal in England!
No, he seems to be implying it would not be legal to camp there........even in Scotland. Not sure legal is the right term technically - Scottish outdoor access code says "but help to avoid causing problems for local people and land managers by not camping in enclosed fields of crops or farm animals and by keeping well away from buildings, roads or historic structures. " - but not sure if that makes it legal or not. It's something I follow so not really considered if not doing so was illegal or just bad manners.
Bit of an overreaction by the farmer. Seems the wild camper is paying the price for other problems the farmer has likely made for himself.
Never mind, im sure the camper can go back in a few months and raze one of his fields back to stubble.
I’ve been trying to work out where it was from the video and if it’s where I think it is, it’s only about half a mile from the legitimate wild camping zone on Dartmoor.
jam-bo
Full Member
I’ve been trying to work out where it was from the video and if it’s where I think it is, it’s only about half a mile from the legitimate wild camping zone on Dartmoor.
From what I've gleaned online he arrived in the dark and wasn't familiar with the area I'd assume.
It’s on route 27 ncn
^^ Well found. 👍
Assuming he's finishing in Scotland, he's got a bloody long way to go. I hope the event hasn't caused him to give up on the ride. That would be a bloody shame.
Sorry
Yes I’m assuming spraying with slurry is illegal in the whole uk. It’s portably a war crime if you count slurry a biological weapon.
My question was about the wild camping law in Scotland
Everything I’ve seen so far says not in an enclosed field
would not be legal to camp there……..even in Scotland
Aah, righto. Cheers
My question was about the wild camping law in Scotland
As above.
🙂
Section 6.1.(i) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2001 might apply -
The land in respect of which access rights are not exercisable is land—
in which crops have been sown or are growing;
Enclosed fields are fair game subject to the above proviso. Field margins are also acceptable if there is no crop damage being done.
(a)includes land on which grass is being grown for hay and silage which is at such a late stage of growth that it is likely to be damaged by the exercise of access rights in respect of the land in which it is growing, but otherwise does not include grassland;
(b)does not include headrigs, endrigs or other margins of fields in which crops are growing
Anyone heard anything further about the original story?
I’m assuming spraying with slurry is illegal in the whole uk.
I've heard tell that intentionally driving through puddles to soak pedestrians can be considered assault. I've no idea whether that's true or apocryphal, but if it is true then multiple gallons of hydrated cow dung should be an open and shit case.
👏
I’ve heard tell that intentionally driving through puddles to soak pedestrians can be considered assault.
It is and folk have been prosecuted for it -= not necessarily for assault tho tho it would IMO pass the test for assault as well.
https://news.sky.com/story/pedestrians-splashed-by-cars-complain-to-police-10376669
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/you-could-fined-5000-driving-21140316
My question was about the wild camping law in Scotland
Everything I’ve seen so far says not in an enclosed field
I wouldn't worry if no one could see me, as in no buildings in sight.
Worse-case normally is someone telling you to FO, but I've never ever had that.
Legally, "Assault" is putting somebody in fear of immediate unlawful force (regardless if it happen or not) and "Battery" is using unlawful force against somebody. Though literally nobody, including the police and the media use the legal definitions very much and simply use the terms as they are commonly understood.
Naturally, it is common that the two come together quite a lot, so most time(s) people are a victim of Assault+Battery (or Assault + a more serious offence)
Meaning, for sure the offence in the video could qualify for both- ditto for deliberately or recklessly splashing people with puddles in your car.
In fact, I recall that under the Offences against the Persons Act, deliberately or recklessly infecting someone with a disease equally counts as an offence, though more of a grey area. ABH is "some harm more than trivial" and doesn't have to be permanent so if the victim in the video were to be infected with a more than trivial disease of some sort as a result of the sh*t-spray, then I think hypothetically in some scenarios the farmer could even be guilty of ABH.
The cyclist is trespassing (we presume) but that's a civil offence so not sure how much mitigation it would offer the farmer.
The cyclist is trespassing (we presume) but that’s a civil offence so not sure how much mitigation it would offer the farmer.
Especially as he didn't use the slightly more reasonable talking to him first approach before doing the dirty.
On reflection I hope the farmer finds himself in a legal shit storm of similar ferocity to the literal one he meted out.
Yeah exactly, I agree tbf.
Even if the farmer is sick of repeat offenders or whatever, he could surely just put a sign up- there's not one visible at the entrance and we get a pretty good look in the video.
I believe that the Offences against the Person Act contains an offence of 'administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy' , which fits this nicely.
Courts have already found that throwing piss over someone qualifies as a 'noxious substance', so farm slurry undoubtedly qualifies too.
I do hope the bloke is OK, still enjoying his journey, and once he becomes aware of the 'shitstorm', he can approach the police to deal with this idiot.
The cyclist is trespassing (we presume) but that’s a civil offence so not sure how much mitigation it would offer the farmer.
Precisely zero, particularly as the fool has published video of the entire incident so any claims of 'feeling threatened' or some other feature which would make it aggravated trespass are patently non-existent. He can't even claim that he flipped and now regrets what he did, as he was clearly enjoying himself, and was happy to talk to the Sun later.
.
Now wondering what Tracey has been chucking out of her cable car onto unsuspecting walkers. 🙂
Skiing in morzine the main cabin lift up towards VDI had a major motor failure.
Unfortunately the cabins were full of skiers .
After a few hours a lady was so desperate for a wee she had to go.
The doors were prised open and 2 gentleman held her arms as she parked her herself out in the cold air and took a wazz.
Unfortunately the lift does run above a black run which had people on it.
It took them hours to abseil every person down one at a time
On reflection I hope the farmer finds himself in a legal shit storm of similar ferocity to the literal one he meted out.
I'm sure the Sun had that possibility in mind when giving the farmer the opportunity to give his name, full account of the incident, location of his farm etc. Anything for a story 'that runs'.
Courts have already found that throwing piss over someone qualifies as a ‘noxious substance’
Someone had their collar felt for throwing a milkshake at Farage. Though the actual location of the noxious substance is debatable, one could argue that it was an act of dilution.
Burger king milkshakes are a bit rank, but McDonalds are quite moreish. So I don't think they qualify as noxious.
This was a common tactic in Radnorshire against New Age Travellers - there was one significant difference. The commons were sprayed with slurry before the buses and old ambulances trundled up.
This was a common tactic in Radnorshire against New Age Travellers – there was one significant difference. The commons were sprayed with slurry before the buses and old ambulances trundled up.
Ditto when CND planned a human chain between RAF strike command & the USAF base at Dawes Hill
I also thought it could be a set up video.
This is what I first though. Clickbait. Will be interesting to see if its legit.
I also thought it could be a set up video.
Who would volunteer to be sprayed with shite for a set-up video?
That's a nice tent that. You'd be using an argos festival special for a set up video. Only a true geek would know the difference and you get your big clickbait numbers from the ignorant.
According to the surprisingly balanced comments on that farming forum, you can’t spray within 2m of a hedge centreline. So another breach for defra. I don’t expect the cyclist will press charges. Probably wants an easy ride given his reasons for riding LEJOG. anyone found his sponsorship page?
you've been watching too many Yank detective shows, there's no "pressing charges" in UK law - the victim's permission/co-operation is not required for either an arrest or a prosecution (especially when this muppet farmer has kindly provided all the necessary evidence himself 😂)I don’t expect the cyclist will press charges
So who is calling the cops then?
I wonder if anyone already has.
Well it’s true, he has rather incriminated himself. I was thinking from the pursuant of damages side of things. Personal injury and all that.