'Leave farms alone' call at county show

The president of one of Shropshire's top shows has called on the Government to stop interfering in agriculture and allow the industry to recover from worries over disease.

Speaking at the weekend's hugely successful Oswestry Show, Bryan Wigley said it was the only way farming could get back on track.

Saturday's good weather helped attract thousands to the 123rd Oswestry Show at the Park Hall Showground.

The event marked a return for livestock, banned from last year's show after an eleventh-hour foot and mouth scare.

But fewer than 50 farmers entered the cattle competitions - less than half the usual number.

Many, including those from most of Shropshire, were banned from travelling to the show because of restrictions put in place to try to halt the spread of bluetongue disease across the country.

Mr Wigley said: "When you lose something it is very difficult to attract people back again and we must thank the exhibitors who travelled to Oswestry Show.

"We need less interference from Government. Only then can we put the problems of disease behind us and get agriculture back on track."

Meanwhile a champion exhibitor, pedigree Jersey farmer Roger Taylor, from Porth-y-Waen, near Oswestry, said it should not be the Government deciding policy on how to deal with bluetongue and other diseases affecting the industry.

"It should appoint Britain's top vet to sort out this mess," he said.