A FARMER died when his jumper caught in a combine harvester as he worked on the family farm.

John Walter Kirk, 64, appears to have been killed after climbing from his cab to check a fault in the machinery while the engine was running. He was pulled into the machinery by his clothes and died of asphyxiation.

He was found by his son, Peter, in the field where he was working in the Chop Gate area of Bilsdale, near Stokesley, North Yorkshire, at about 7.30pm on Saturday.

Part of his body was trapped inside the top of the combine harvester with the engine still running. Peter switched off the engine and tried to help his father before calling the emergency services.

A doctor and firefighters arrived, but Mr Kirk was pronounced dead at the scene.

Last night, police warned farmers of the dangers of trying to fix their combine harvesters, in the wake of another tragedy in Yorkshire on Friday.

Richard Crowther, 56, died when he fell into the blades of his machine at Thorpe Hall Farm, near Leeds.

Sergeant Paul Wren, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "We would have to ask farmers not to take shortcuts because it can end in tragedy and it is just not worth it.

"Mr Kirk's family were away at a function and we had to trace them to break the news. They were obviously very distressed."

A post-mortem examination was due to be carried out today. The Health and Safety Executive has also launched an investigation into the accident and will be preparing a report with North Yorkshire Police for the coroner