A member of the public has died after being struck by an excavator on a farm in Bedfordshire, highlighting ongoing safety risks on UK agricultural land.
The incident occurred on 5 January in a field near Toddington, where the man was hit by a digger being operated at the time. Emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 5pm, but he was pronounced dead there.
Bedfordshire Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have launched investigations to establish exactly what happened.
A police spokesperson said: “Officers were called shortly before 5pm on Monday 5 January to a field on Bridle Way, Toddington, to reports of a man who had been injured by a digger.”
They added: “Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Formal identification remains underway, however next of kin have been informed.”
Police enquiries are continuing, with detectives working alongside the HSE and the coroner to understand the full circumstances.
The tragedy comes as the UK farming industry continues to record a high number of deaths on farms. In 2024/25 there were 23 farm worker deaths in Great Britain and a further five in Northern Ireland, bringing the total across the UK to 28 fatalities in agricultural incidents.
In addition to those working on farms, other members of the public have also lost their lives in farming-related accidents. These figures underline that, despite safety efforts, agriculture remains one of the country’s most dangerous sectors.
Police have asked anyone with information about the Bedfordshire incident to contact them on 101 or report online.
