Royal Welsh Show: Lancaster bomber's flypast tribute

A World War II Lancaster bomber has made a dramatic flypast at the Royal Welsh Show in memory of one of the event's former top officials.

The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's ex-treasurer Richard Moseley, who died in 2007 aged 82, was a veteran of more than 30 wartime Lancaster missions.

Amid the roar of the bomber's four Merlin engines 100ft (30m) overhead, visitors could be heard applauding.

It made several passes before heading back to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

Mr Moseley served as a rear gunner, which was regarded as a dangerous position in a Lancaster.

The flypast was to have taken place in 2009 in tribute to Mr Moseley, but it was scuppered by poor weather.

The late Richard Moseley served aboard a Lancaster bomber in WWII

The conditions on Tuesday were much improved for the bomber's crew.

Some visitors applauded, some cheered and others took photographs as they made several passes over the showground.

The aircraft, from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, could be heard several miles away as it made its way up the Wye Valley to Llanelwedd in Powys.

Meanwhile, the show's attendance figure was the second highest ever for a Tuesday at 61,263. It was 4,500 up on last year, and almost 4,000 above the five-year average.

Elsewhere at the show, farmers are being targeted in a renewed campaign for greater safety on farms.

NFU Cymru said it wanted to raise the profile of the problem in the wake of the 34 deaths in the UK agriculture industry in the year to March.

A union safety summit was held in January to raise awareness and a meeting was staged a few days ago.

Speaking at the Royal Welsh, NFU Cymru president Ed Bailey said he was working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Farming unions and the HSE have targeted farmers previously, but Mr Bailey said NFU Cymru's latest campaign included organisations from across the Welsh farming industry, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, Wales Young Farmers' Club, the Welsh Government and the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution.

The latest figures available show 34 farm workers were killed in the UK between April 2010 and March this year, down slightly from 39 the previous year.

Mr Bailey said: "One death in the statistics is too many in my view so farmer safety is the theme for this year's show season.

"During the Royal Welsh Show, and the subsequent county shows where NFU Cymru has a presence, we will be working with HSE to highlight farm safety and provide advice and guidance to members on farm safety and best practice.

'Dogged determination'

"This is not going to be a quick-fix campaign unfortunately.

"All organisations involved in the farm safety summit are agreed we are in this for the long term with a dogged determination to get farmers thinking of their safety - first and foremost."

The judging of horses started at 0800 BST on Tuesday.

The RSPB held a reception to celebrate its centenary, with deputy agriculture minister Alun Davies the special guest.

Environment Minister John Griffiths was also at the show.

The Duke of Kent will visit the show on Wednesday.