A FARM owner has spoken out in dismay after he found a cow trough had been 'annihilated'.

Around £1,000 worth of damage was caused at Roanhead Farm, on the outskirts of Barrow, after what appears to be a hit and run incident toppled their cattle trough.

The damage was spotted by farm worker Liam Ashworth.

It led to a water pipe bursting and cutting off the supply to the area for a short while.

The 32-year-old said: “They must have been coming at quite the speed to knock the trough off its hinges as it was full of water.

“The weird thing is there has been no glass or vehicle remnants left at the scene.

"There is no way they could have cleared all that up.”

The family farm had opened their land to the public to use as a path during lockdown to give more people places to walk.

Farm owner John Curtis said 'enough is enough' and that measures will now be put in place to stop access to the land.

“We have been tolerant and have allowed access onto our land since the lockdown," said Mr Curtis.

"Somebody has crashed into our back field cattle trough and annihilated it, and not had the decency to come and inform us.

“Our grandson discovered it, and himself and Terry have been down there for some time tapping off a leaking water pipe.

“Whoever hit it, it was with some force, and I hope no-one was seriously hurt, but they must have been hurt.

"It was hit with some force, and it looks like somebody came up and towed them away.

"But in view of this there will be no access through this.

"There’s a gate being put up on the bottom cattle grid, and there is no access Hawthwaite Lane gate either.

“We’re sorry to have to do this.

“Sorry people but enough is enough, please respect our decision and stay off the property.”

There has also been issues of drug use in the nearby woods which has been ongoing for about a year with nitrous oxide canisters being left behind.