MoD Pays Compensation To Farmers For 'Scaring Chickens To Death'

The Ministry of Defence has reportedly paid almost £200,000 in compensation to farmers whose chickens have been scared to death by military aircraft.

According to The Mirror Online, the payouts have come after farmers claimed their animals had trampled each other to death after being frightened by the low-flying planes and helicopters.

Many of the hens that survived had stopped laying eggs.

Farmers say RAF Tornado jets and Chinook helicopters performing training exercises have caused distress to their chickens.

The paper reports that the largest payout was £79,041 to the owners of a farm in East Sussex, after a low-flying Chinook caused their poultry to panic, killing hundreds.

The deaths can be caused by smothering, when hens panic and all pile against a wall, fence or side of a hut, suffocating those at the bottom.

There have been concerns over low-flying aircraft before.

In December, a car that jumped a red light near RAF Waddington was almost hit by an aircraft approaching the runway.

A King Air plane reportedly missed the car by "just a few feet" on the A15 in Lincoln.

In 2015, one of 19 designated sites for low-flying in the UK was at the centre of a row over safety.

The Mach Loop in North Wales is a firm favourite with plane spotters to watch pilots practice this highly skilled form of flying.

However, the local Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts claimed there have been several apparent near misses.

Low flying isn’t usually allowed in areas around airports, or towns and cities with populations of more than 10,000.

Forces TV is awaiting comment from the MoD on the matter.

More: RAF Jets In Near Miss At Lossiemouth