East Anglia farmers thanked for keeping region's rural roads moving during Storm Darcy

Farmers across the East of England have been thanked for helping keep rural roads moving during heavy snowfall.

Storm Darcy has caused disruption across much of the region, including the closure of Covid-19 vaccination centres and schools.

To ensure rural communities have been able to continue making essential journeys, farmers snapped into action to clear snow of the roads and rescue stuck vehicles.

Spokesperson for the National Farmers' Union, Brian Finnerty, said it's common for farmers to help: "It's at times like this, during extreme weather conditions that we've seen, they get referred to sometimes as a fourth emergency service. It's been great to see them out and about helping local communities, keeping rural roads clear, and rescuing stranded motorists as well."

According to the NFU there's concern the large amounts of snow could lead to flooding on farms, but farmers won't be thinking of that right now.

Brian continued: "They're more likely to be out and about helping local motorists, helping keep the roads clear, than getting too concerned about the weather impact on their own farms."

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