Have the aliens landed? How to tackle crop circles

It is the time of year when crop circles are appearing on farmland across the region.

Whilst some believe these complex, geometric patterns are formed by extraterrestrial activity, many have been proven to be created by humans. Creating a crop circle without the landowner’s permission is criminal damage that has both a short-term and long-term impact on the land.

Wiltshire has become a hotspot for this phenomena with around 80% of all UK crop circles found in the county. Since 2005, there have been more than 380 crop circles recorded across the county. This year, crop circles have already appeared on the outskirts of Warminster, whilst others have also appeared in neighbouring Dorset.

Whilst the aerial views may prove stunning, drawing in visitors from all over the world, this is often what causes further damage to the land.

To avoid this, many landowners will take immediate action to top-out the damage so there is nothing to see. This was the case for ‘Falkner’s Circle’ found near Avebury earlier this month which appeared in a barley field – measuring at 75 meters in diameter. It is a difficult choice for farmers to make as this can result in further loss of crops.

Some do however provide access to the public, often asking for a charitable donation. In the case of the Culliford Tree Crop Circle, which was found near Weymouth in May, the farmer said the field surrounding the crop circle could have produced 90,000 pints of beer, and that the money collected from visitors would go towards the damage of the crop but to also raise money for local farming charities.

Advice for farmers

With the summer solstice approaching, an event which draws thousands of visitors to Wiltshire, it is important for landowners to be aware of how and when to act if crop circles are discovered on their land.

• Creating a crop circle is criminal damage and therefore an offence that should be reported to the Police using the 101 service.
• If a crop circle appears in a field, farmers should first consider the impact on their crop and potential liability, and then decide whether to allow access to the circle or not.
• Where access is not granted, try to deter visitors entering the land where possible. You should make sure there is clear signage to show areas that are off-limits to the public.
• If you are willing to allow people to visit, provide visitors with guidance as to your desired routes, reminding them to use tractor tramlines to avoid further damage to the crop and the circle.
• Safety first: It is important to remind visitors of potential hazards, such as dry crops and the risk of fire from smoking and instruct them to be cautious when entering the field. It is also important that they leave no trace as litter can cause injury to livestock and wildlife and damage to machinery. You should check with your insurance company as to whether you are covered for visitors, and people paying to visit. You may also need to consider a basic risk assessment to ensure members of the public are not placed at unnecessary risk from a health and safety perspective. In this instance, the Health and Safety Executive website is a helpful resource for information and precedents.
• Parking: Direct people to where they can park safely without causing any obstructions to you and the highway.

What usually attracts visitors to a new crop circle is the stunning aerial footage captured by drones. It is therefore important to be vigilant if drones are flying away from the vicinity of a circle as criminals can use this footage to gather intelligence for further criminal activity. It is worth looking out for this, and any other suspicious activity in close proximity to the crop circle, and reporting it where necessary.

By taking these simple steps, farmers can navigate the challenges posed by crop circles and minimize the negative impact on their fields and crops.