A Gloucestershire farmer has been fined following the tragic death of a 22-year-old shepherdess, who was killed in a quad bike crash while working alone on a farm.
The incident occurred in June 2023, as Laura Simmons was spraying weed killer along fence lines on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at a farm in Charlton Abbots.
The overloaded quad bike overturned, and Laura was found by a jogger several hours later. She died from fatal spinal injuries.
Laura, remembered by her mother as “lively, caring and adventurous,” had been using a vehicle that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) later found was overloaded, unstable and not adequately maintained.
Investigators cited an overloaded front rack, uneven tyre pressures, a spray tank lacking baffles, and the potential for the spray lance to have been in use while driving as key factors in the accident.
HSE found that farm owner Toby Baxter had failed to provide suitable equipment and carry out pre-use checks.
According to the watchdog, he also failed to implement a safe system for using the spray tank and deliver adequate employee training.
Laura’s mother paid tribute to her daughter, describing her as “a lively person who loved animals, was very caring, was a hard worker, was plucky, intelligent, practical, adventurous and she had a beautiful smile.”
Guidelines published by HSE stress the importance of tyre pressure checks on ATVs, noting that even a 1 psi difference can significantly affect control.
Overturn risks increase substantially when carrying destabilising loads, especially over uneven or sloped terrain.
At Cheltenham Magistrates Court on 29 April 2025, Mr Baxter pleaded guilty and was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay over £6,150 in costs.
Speaking after, HSE inspector Emily O’Neill said: “This was a tragic incident, and a much-loved young woman has lost her life. It could have easily been avoided with the right controls in place.
"We found several failures, so Mr Baxter’s previous suggestion that Laura was a victim of ‘unfortunate circumstances’ is, frankly, offensive.”
She added that the case underlines persistent safety issues in agriculture, which remains one of the UK’s most hazardous industries.
“Proper equipment, training and risk assessment are essential to protect workers," Ms O'Neill concluded.
