Tributes paid to dairy farmer killed in tractor accident

Tributes have been paid to a farmer who died after his tractor and trailer overturned on a farm near Wrexham, Clwyd.

Peter Francis, 68, from Dark Lane, Llay, was found close to the tractor and trailer which had overturned in a field off Bryn Common, Llanfynydd.

The accident took place sometime on Monday evening (17 August) and an ambulance was called to the field at about 11pm.

Mr Francis was pronounced dead at the scene.

North Wales Police said: “At 11.16pm on Monday, police and emergency services attended an incident in the Llanfynydd area where a man sustained fatal injuries in an accident involving a tractor.

“The matter will now be subject of a joint investigation between North Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive. The coroner has been informed.”

Mr Francis’ wife Marian spoke of her family’s shock and paid tribute to him as a kind father and grandfather.

In an interview with the Wrexham Leader newspaper Mrs Francis said: “With all the condolences we’re having, we’re getting a very good response, with people saying he was a very kind man – he would help anybody. 

“He wouldn’t want to see anybody need anything – that was his nature”
Marian Francis

“He wouldn’t want to see anybody need anything – that was his nature.”

The couple had run their dairy farm for more than 30 years. Mrs Francis also described her husband as a hard-working man.

She said: “He didn’t have any time for retiring – his brother-in-law advised him to retire but he said he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he retired.

“With the farming situation recently, sometimes he would think ‘why bother?’. But he still carried on.”

Mr Francis’ daughter, Grace, 26, also paid tribute to him.

She said: “He was a great dad and a great grandad to the kids, and he loved doing what he did.”

As well as his wife and daughter, Mr Francis leaves sons Wilfred, 34, and Ian, 32, along with grandchildren Dylan, six, and Victoria, aged 22-months.