Farmer dies in slurry pit

A well-known Shropshire farmer has died after falling into a slurry pit at his son's farm near Shrewsbury. John Evans, 80, of Pontesbury, fell into the slurry pit at Boycott Farm in Yockleton at 5.30pm yesterday.

Today his son, David, paid tribute to his father and said "the farm was his life". Firefighters rescued Mr Evans from the pit but paramedics were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Speaking from the farm where the tragedy happened, David Evans said the family had been left devastated.

Mr Evans, who is chairman of Minsterley Show, said: "It was a tragic accident on the farm. It came as a terrible shock to us all and we are trying to cope.

"He had his own routine on the farm. He was feeding livestock and pumping the slurry was something he had always done and nobody knows what happened.

"We realised that he was missing and we called the emergency services."

John Evans was married to his wife Dorothy for more than 50 years. They had three children, Susan Jones and Margaret Price and David, who both live locally, and four grandchildren.

Mr Evans had lived at Boycott Farm all his life until his retirement 10 years ago. David said his father had "an in-depth knowledge of the industry".

"He took a great interest in lots of subjects, he did a lot of reading in his retirement and he liked talking to people - he was everything to us. The farm was his life. He never lived anywhere else," he said.

A spokesman for Shropshire Fire and Rescue service said crews were sent from Minsterley and Shrewsbury and a rescue unit with winching equipment came from Wellington.

Murray MacGregor, spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "Ambulance staff immediately assessed the man's condition but sadly on this occasion there was simply nothing that could be done to save him."

No funeral date has yet been set but the coroner has been informed of the death.

By Becci Lawrence