Farmers are being warned to take extra care when working with machinery while harvesting following the death of a south Oxfordshire farmer.

The national Health and Safety Executive is investigating what happened to Paul Warburton, 62, of North Farm, Shillingford Hill, Wallingford.

He died on August 1 after his combine harvester ran over him while he was working in his fields.

The machine is being inspected to see if the brakes failed or if something else caused the tragedy.

HSE spokesman Matthew Hopkinson said: "An investigation is under way and a report will be issued later.

"The executive is asking farmers to take special care while they are out working in the fields during harvesting.

"Every precaution should be taken to prevent mishaps - we know time is of the essence, but safety must come first to prevent tragic accidents."

An NFU spokesman said: "The NFU works closely in liaison with the Health and Safety Executive in trying to get the safety message across to all farmers. The trouble is that farming has been through a bad time and farmers do not employ many people, so they are constantly under pressure and working very long hours - and that is when accidents happen."

The funeral of Mr Warburton, a well known farmer and conservationist, took place at St Laurence's Church, War- borough yesterday (Thursday, August 12).

Earlier this year he had won a prestigious award, put up by English Nature and the NFU, for his conservation work.

As reported in yesterday's Oxford Mail, Mr Warburton was a member of the NFU and the Campaign to Protect Rural England and was on the parochial church council at St Laurence's.

He had a column in Farmers' Weekly, and said his aim in life was to feed a hungry world and provide shelter for wildlife.

The family declined to talk about the accident.