A Durham farmer has been killed in a "tragic accident" involving bale, police have confirmed.
Durham Police said the 51-year-old, who has not yet been identified, was killed while baling straw on a farm in Staindrop, County Durham, on Sunday (7 August). The incident happened at about 1.30pm.
Emergency services including the police, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, North East Ambulance Service and Great North Air Ambulance Service attended.
Durham Constabulary’s duty inspector, Simon Gdaniec, confirmed that the man had lost his life despite their best efforts to save him.
He told The Northern Echo: “There’s been an occupational-cum-industrial accident on the farm and one chap has sadly lost his life. There is nothing suspicious from a policing point of view but we have notified the Health and Safety Executive from a commercial workplace point of view.
“As far as the police are concerned it’s a tragic, tragic accident.”
A spokeswoman for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the organisation was aware of the incident.
The incident comes only a few weeks after the end of Farm Safety Week (July 24-28).
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) figures from the 2016/17 period showed agriculture is the most dangerous UK profession, with 27 work-related.
Last year, 30 people were killed in agriculture, compared with 29 the year before.
