A HALESOWEN environmentalist is urging scores of picnickers to stay off a farmer's field during lockdown - as they are destroying his crop.

Tim Weller is urging people not to picnic in the farmer's fields outside Somers Park.

The 72-year-old activist said farmer Philip Bibbey, of Oatenfields Farm in Bromsgrove Road, Hunnington, owns the field and that picnickers should respect this and stay off the grass.

He said Mr Bibbey uses the grass to feed his cattle during the winter and that picnickers are destroying part of the crop.

Mr Weller, who is a married father-of-two and has lived in Halesowen for 44 years, said: "Somers Park is much appreciated by us all, but the farmer's fields are outside the park.

"I urge people not to have picnics and to keep to the one permissive path alongside the River Stour between Somers Park and the public footpaths near to the golf range road, via the metal gate at Bibbey's Hollow.

"The farm track from Bibbey's Hollow up the hill to Oatenfields Farm is not a public right of way.

"Please do not use it.

"We must not upset the farmer.

"Mr Bibbey is a generous local farmer and has given permission for the footpath along the edge of his field and the River Stour.

"He's the best farmer for miles around - we need to help him so he doesn't sell his land to one of these awful developers that want to concrete everywhere."

Dudley News:

Mr Weller said the picture above is an example of extreme action that has been taken in Hunnington to keep walkers on a footpath and not to stray onto fields.

He said: "It shows what one landowner has done in Hunnington to hem walkers in and to keep them to the exact line of the public right of way.

"They are penned in!

"No wandering off into the field and definitely no picnics.

"The photo is from the kissing gate at Bromsgrove Road. The path goes all the way to meet Waxland Road at the bypass.

"The Clent Hills in the background - Walton Hill on the left and Adams Hill on the right.

"It's a useful lesson to show us what can happen."