Nine charges dropped against '£1-a-year' farmer

Daniel Jones (L) pleaded not guilty to all the charges
Daniel Jones (L) pleaded not guilty to all the charges

Nine charges have been dropped against the farmer who beat thousands of other hopefuls to take over a farm for just £1 a year.

Daniel Jones, from Anglesey, appeared at a pre-trial hearing in Llandudno magistrates’ court on Tuesday 21 May.

He faced 20 charges relating to animal health crimes, including failure to dispose of five dead sheep and failure to ensure that birds or animals did not have access to the bodies.

However, the prosecution could not offer any evidence for nine of the charges. They have now been dropped.

Mr Jones had pleaded not guilty to all of them.

He made international headlines in 2016 when he was named National Trust's new shepherd for the 124 acre Parc Farm in Great Orme, North Wales.

National Trust's search for a farmer for the £1m farm sparked international interest, taking calls from potential applicants at a rate of over 100 an hour for days.

But it was Mr Jones who picked up the keys to the farm, where he vowed to take on a nature-first approach to farming in a place which is home to rare habitats and species.