Elf ’n’ safety rein in white horse clean-up crew
FOR four generations, John Bielby’s family have looked after Britain’s largest white horse – members of a proud volunteer group that has maintained the landmark for 161 years.
But even though there have been no accidents among those who have cleared, cleaned and painted the White Horse of Kilburn since it was created on a North Yorkshire hillside in 1857, the landowner has banned devoted locals from tending it on health and safety grounds.
Owner the Forestry Commission says it will do the work itself, following recent instructions to volunteers to stop using strimmers or any mechanical devices, as well as all chemical sprays, during their regular weeding sessions.
Mr Bielby, 64, chairman of the Kilburn White Horse Association, said the decision came out of the blue, adding: ‘We’ve always had full insurance and were happy for the Forestry Commission to help us do the work as we are not getting any younger!
‘But they suddenly told us, “That’s it, you can’t go on the horse any more”. That was a bit of a bummer. They just quote health and safety.’
Created by schoolmaster John Hodgson and his pupils, the horse is 318ft long by 220ft high and covers just over an acre. Mr Bielby has helped to look after it for more than 45 years.
His father John helped camouflage the horse in the Second World War, and his two grandchildren helped out last year.
Volunteers used to scramble up the slope to carry out weeding and clearing jobs on their hands and knees. But for decades they have used use ropes and harnesses for their safety.
Alan Eves, from the Forestry Commission, said: ‘We must keep the volunteers and the thousands of others who support our work just as safe as our own staff.
‘As a result we have agreed to maintain the white horse at Kilburn ourselves.’