Farmer fined for letting grandchildren on tractor

Howard Walters - pictured in a still from a video - was given a 12-month community order after being spotted with a child in his tractor cab

A farmer has been ordered to pay £3,500 for letting his grandchildren ride on a tractor.

Howard Walters, 78, was also given a 12-month community order after he was spotted with a child in the cab as he fed cattle.

Walters had already been handed a prohibition notice by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in November 2020 after admitting letting his pre-teen grandchildren ride on the machine.

Two months later he was filmed by his neighbour breaching the notice.

The law says that children under 13 are banned from driving or riding on agricultural machinery.

Walters, of Tirmynydd Farm, Birchgrove, Swansea, had previously been given a suspended prison sentence for unrelated environmental offences.

He was fined £500 at Swansea Crown Court on Tuesday for breaching the order and ordered to pay a further £3,000 in costs.

As part of his community order, he must undergo 25 days of rehabilitation.

Walters pleaded guilty after being charged with breaching health and safety laws.

HSE inspector Simon Breen said it was not safe for children to ride on agricultural machinery.

"The fact this farmer chose to ignore a prohibition notice for putting his grandchildren at risk is all the more staggering."

According to the HSE, agriculture is one of the most dangerous industries in Britain with about 29 people killed each year.

Being killed by vehicles was the most significant cause of work-related deaths over the past five years.