THE parents of a three-year-old boy who died in an accident at Cuttlehill Farm, in Crossgates, this week backed Farm Safety Week which is aiming to make farms safer places for workers and children.

Police and an ambulance rushed to the scene at the Crossgates farm in February 2017 when three year-old Stuart Nelson was involved in an accident with a forklift truck but the little boy could not be saved.

Linzi and Richard Nelson appeared on BBC Television's Victoria Derbyshire Show, on Monday, to throw their weight behind Farm Safety Week after statistics revealed showed that 29 farm workers were killed in accidents over the last year, which is 18 times higher than the average in other major industries. These also revealed that four members of the public had died, including two children, between March 2017 and April this year.

Richard explained on the programme how he had been out with Stuart feeding cows and he had stressed to the youngster to keep out of the way.

Richard added: "When I was operating the forklift I always had my eyes open. When the accident happened he was totally in the blind spot. When I moved the machine back he was lying there lifeless."

This is the sixth Farm Safety Week and Stephanie Berkeley, of the Farm Safety Foundation, said asking farmers to stop and think had been a key part of campaigns such as Mind Your Head and Who Would Fill Your Boots?

“We can continue to make powerful and emotive films and offer advice and guidance, but we can’t make farmers change their attitude,” she said.

“Only the individual can make that change. Our message is you have to play your part, you have to take responsibility.”

During Farm Safety Week www.yellowwellies.org will feature a series of guest blogs from campaign partners and six sections with advice and top tips.

The six sections include: working at height; working with livestock; staying slurry safe; working with machinery; overhead power lines and child safety on farms.