surprise checks have been made on 97 farming and horticultural businesses which employ seasonal agricultural workers.

The Health and Safety Executive blitz is part of a programme to reduce accidents and ill-health in the agricultural sector.

Field checks and yard inspections of nurseries, market gardens and horticultural businesses in Ledbury, Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and the Vale of Evesham were carried out by a team of inspectors.

Workplace transport, manual handling and welfare facilities for workers engaged in seasonal harvesting activities were examined.

Four prohibition notices were served, causing work to cease immediately, and five improvement notices, covering a variety of areas in agricultural practice.

HSE inspector Alastair Mitchell said: "One of the main objectives of the blitz was to look at the employment of foreign students and whether training and safety information was being provided for people whose command of English may be limited or non-existent. Although it was disappointing to serve a number of enforcement notices, on the whole, the picture in south Herefordshire and south Worcestershire was encouraging."

NFU West Midlands spokesman Russell Griffin said: "We welcome the close attention being paid to this issue by the Health and Safety Executive in Herefordshire and Worcestershire and are pleased that they have recognised the efforts of local farmers to provide good standard accommodation and training for seasonal workers."