A FARMER was last night trampled to death by his cattle as he tried to feed them, police believe.

Stephen Sandys, 64, was found dead in his field in Groombridge, East Sussex.

The alarm was raised when Mr Sandys failed to pick his wife Christine up from a railway station as planned.

She made it home and called police at 10:30pm.

She later discovered his battered body in the field near a nine-year-old bull that had been reared from birth at the farm.

Officers were later forced to destroy the animal, which was snorting and stamping, Mrs Sandys said.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "At this time we're not treating the death as suspicious.

"It is believed the farmer may have been trampled by livestock."

The case has been passed on to the coroner.

Neighbour Brett Walker said Mr Sandys had taken over the farm after the death of his father.

He told the BBC: "He was a super guy, and never had a bad word to say about anybody."

Frank Langrish, from the National Farmers' Union, said: "While this isn't an uncommon occurrence it's unusual, especially for a farmer to be killed in this situation.

"Cattle can be unpredictable but this breed of cattle are normally quite docile and easy to handle."