Car and tractor users urged to be patient on roads

The NFU said car drivers should allow extra time for journeys if they are using country roads

Car and tractor drivers are being urged to share the roads and be patient.

Farmer Rob Stephens said he had suffered abuse for slowing people down while driving his tractor for work.

Mr Stephens, from Wembury in Devon, said anyone who used country lanes also needed to know how to reverse safely.

The south-west branch of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) said farmers should also be considerate, particularly to holidaymakers not familiar with the roads, but called for patience "all round".

Farmer Rob Stephens said visiting drivers did not know the needs of his industry

Mr Stephens said he had suffered abuse from drivers on numerous occasions and mostly ignored it.

He added: "You got to remember that [farming is] a job and they think that you are in the way [on purpose].

"They don't realise what happens around here is 24 hours a day [in farming]."

He added that he had seen traffic "snarled up for quarter of an hour" due to issues with reversing.

"If they drive the country lanes, they need to know how to go backwards - that's the bottom line. Because it's not just tractors, we often get double-decker buses," he added.

David George, from the south-west NFU, said farmers should be considerate too.

He said: "Most of them have got used to the fact that, at this time of year, there are going to be people not used to driving down some of our narrow lanes, and perhaps with banks on roadsides.

"So, obviously, you do need to take that into account when you're working.

"It's just a question of allowing a bit of patience all round... of keeping calm and allowing a bit of extra time for your journey."