A YORKSHIRE farmer has won a red diesel victory for farmers across the country.

The farmer was helping a neighbour with silage making when customs and excise officials tried to make him pay the full tax rate on fuel used for the job.

Historically, farmers have been able to use red diesel for agricultural operations and pay about 37p a litre, rather than almost £1 a litre for white diesel at garages.

Simon Catterall, who acts for the National Farmers' Union and works for Jacksons solicitors, in Stockton, appealed on behalf of the farmer.

The dispute centred around the fact that although the grass had been grown on a farmer's land and was going to be eaten by his stock, it had been cut by someone else who had taken it to the farm, put it into a pit, and rolled it to make silage.

Mr Catterall said this was a complete agricultural operation and so was a legitimate use of the cheaper fuel.

When the parties could not agree, the matter was referred to the full appeals unit in Glasgow where HM Customs and Revenue withdrew and cancelled the assessment.