Tributes paid to 'highly respected' farmer who died after quad bike accident

Mr Henry, from Ringsend in County Londonderry, died after a tragic quad bike accident
Mr Henry, from Ringsend in County Londonderry, died after a tragic quad bike accident

Tributes have poured in following the death of a "very well known" and "highly respected" farmer who died after a quad bike accident.

Mr Henry, from Ringsend in County Londonderry, died after a tragic quad bike accident on Saturday (12 May), increasing the number of UK on-farm deaths to five in the last month.

Local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) John Dallat told The Belfast Telegraph he had known Mr Henry for years.

“Hugh is a native of Ringsend and is very well known in the community and highly respected as a farmer,” he said.

“The wider community will be in shock and my sympathy goes to him and his family. I would call for all the support they can get at this very difficult time.

“Farming by its very nature is a very dangerous occupation; really it's only at times like this that we realise that.

“It’s a hard industry to be involved in and even with the best precautions there's always an element of risk.

Mr Dallat added: “There has been a number of previous fatalities involving quads but now is not the time to speculate about what happened.”

Ulster Unionist councillor William King works as a farmer and he highlighted the danger of quad bikes.

“I heard the quad accident happened on his property. It shows again the danger of quad bikes," he said.

“My sympathy does go out to his family, it's yet another farm accident and it's something we're working hard to try and prevent.

“But there's a high risk in using quad bikes and I would urge anyone using them to take every precaution.”