A probe has been launched into a horrific farm accident which left a farmer critically injured.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is making inquiries into the circumstances of Steven Wylie’s fall through a roof at Longloch Farm near Kirkcaldy.
The 51-year-old is believed to have suffered a broken back and serious head injuries in the fall on Wednesday.
The well-known and popular farmer was flown by air ambulance to Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, where he remains seriously ill.
As well as Longloch, Mr Wylie runs neighbouring North Glassmount and Craigkelly farms with wife Christine and elderly father Ian.
Fife’s close-knit farming community is said to be shocked and devastated by the accident, one of two serious incidents to occur on Scottish farms on the same day.
A 71-year-old man died at a farm in New Deer, Aberdeenshire, after an accident with a combine harvester.
Peter Stewart of Urquhart Farm in west Fife said everyone’s thoughts were with Mr Wylie and his family.
“He’s really well known and very sociable so his accident will be a talking point today,” he said.
“We’ve heard he’s in a bad way and everyone’s hoping he’ll pull through.”
Describing Mr Wylie as very intelligent, Mr Stewart added: “It’s a real tragedy. When you go down through a roof you tend to go head first.
“We’ve just had a safety drive through the Farmers’ Union but unfortunately accidents still happen.
“It’s a busy time of year and there’s pressure on folk to get things done.”
An air ambulance and a trauma team from Glasgow, as well as local paramedics, attended the scene at Longloch, situated in the hills between Kirkcaldy and Burntisland.
A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: “HSE is aware of the incident and is making inquiries.”
Scotland’s farming union said the industry had one of the poorest safety records of any occupation in the country.
She said: “The union is continuing its work to improve Scotland’s farm safety record and help to save lives and encourages Scottish farmers and their staff to read the ‘Don’t leave it to FATE’ leaflet
produced by the Scottish Farm Safety Partnership for some simple tips on how to avoid injury on farms.
“We re-iterate this message following our campaign earlier in the summer during Farm Safety Week.”