RABBITS are munching their way through acres of crops, giving North Yorkshire farmers a severe case of the winter blues.

James McPherson, 60, of Brumber Hill Farm, Bolton Percy, said rabbits have been a constant problem on his farm, where he has lived and worked for the past 58 years.

But he now fears the problem is getting worse and is calling on Railtrack to take action.

Mr McPherson said literally hundreds of rabbits were currently living in a maze of warrens on railway embankments bordering his farm.

And he said up to ten farms which have the York-to-Leeds railway line running along their borders are also suffering.

Mr McPherson estimates the rabbits have already gobbled their way through ten acres of barley and wheat on his farm alone.

"We have not really had much frost this year," said Mr McPherson.

"If the cold weather does set in then they will really start grazing and the situation can only get worse.

Mr McPherson said he cannot take action over his unwanted guests because of tough trespassing laws.

He said: "If you go on to the railway to make any attempt to ferret them you can be prosecuted for trespassing and shooting them is also out of the question. If you take a shotgun anywhere near a railway line British Transport Police are likely to turn up within minutes." Mr McPherson admitted Railtrack had made some attempts by gassing and digging ditches to alleviate the farmers' plight, but with limited success.

"Something has got to be done," he said. "I shall be out of pocket and I won't even cover the costs of growing the ten acres by next harvest."

Jane Houseman, of Hornington Manor, said her farm had suffered from a growing rabbit problem over the last couple of years.

"They have eaten quite a lot of our crops. My husband John has been talking to the railways about this."

A Railtrack spokesman, David Potter, said the rabbit problem was worse this year because the mild weather had extended the breeding season.

He said: "Whenever we receive a complaint about rabbits we go out and inspect the area. Then we send in specialists to carry out a cull, usually using gas. Obviously the rabbits don't belong to us and they cause us problems as well if they are digging up embankments.

"It is a problem that returns year after year and it is impossible to clear every single rabbit. We do our bit but we also expect our neighbours to perform a cull at the same time, otherwise the rabbits just move to the other side of the fence."

The National Farmers' Union said that rabbits were a growing problem throughout the area. "It's a dreadful problem for local farmers," said a spokeswoman. "They are pests and they destroy crops."

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