Final straw

Villagers in Derbyshire say a farmer erected a hay bale barrier behind their homes in order to block their countryside views after he lost a planning row. After Richard Barton’s application to run a waste-processing site at Carr Hill Farm in Ockbrook was rejected, neighbours said he moved 30 tons of hay on to a field at the back of their £500,000 properties. One resident said: “It’s a form of intimidation and is being done out of spite.” However, Mr Barton said it had nothing to do with the application. “Where am I supposed to put my bales?” he said. “They’re making a straw mountain out of a molehill.”