NORTH-EAST farmers say they are being subjected to a vicious campaign of intimidation by armed thugs trespassing on their land.

Incidents have included threats of violence and attacks on property with haystacks burnt down and livestock shot with airguns.

The incidents have escalated over the past year, and were revealed by Brian Pavey, chairman of crime prevention group Darlington Rural Watch (DRW), which covers the countryside around the town.

DRW, many of whose members are farmers, works with the police to gather intelligence on the wrongdoers. Information about the attacks has been passed to Darlington officers

It has also been given to police in Cleveland because DRW believes many of the perpetrators travel from Teesside.

Mr Pavey, a Darlington gamekeeper, said: "Things have gone too far. We have had numerous incidents in which farmers have been threatened after challenging people involved in illegal poaching or trespassing, or whatever they are doing.

"What is worrying is that instead of simply threatening that they will be back, these people are actually coming back.

"We have had threats of physical violence against farmers, their families and their farms, and attacks on property and livestock.

The incident that prompted DRW to go public happened on Sunday, January 4, when a farmer was threatened by a group of poachers he caught on his land.

Other incidents in the past 12 months included

* Haystacks burnt down last summer by a gang that had threatened to come back after being challenged;

* Airgun attacks, including shooting at cows and horses;

* Cutting of fences and gates opened to allow livestock to escape.

Mr Pavey said: "These incidents involve people who cannot accept that they are doing anything wrong.

"When you point out to walkers that they are in the wrong place, they move on without any problems, but not the people who are involved in activities such as illegal fishing in the rivers and deer poaching."

DRW mounts regular day and night-time patrols with Darlington police, whose officers regularly check farmland.

In addition, DRW has a texting system, which means reports of suspicious activity can be sent to members immediately.

Mr Pavey said: "Our message to these people is that we are watching them and working very closely with the police to tackle this problem.

"The police have taken a strong view on this, and every suspicious person is being photographed and every vehicle registration number taken down and passed on to the police by our members."