Tractor rally at Fakenham race meet in protest at tax plans

Most tractors came from Norfolk and Suffolk, but some made the journey from Essex to park alongside the course.

“It’s very important because it’s a way of illustrating the concerns – not just for the farming community, but associate businesses as well,” said Mr Hunter.

“We’re very lucky at Fakenham, we’re hugely supported by the farming community.

“Norfolk… is a very important rural county producing a lot of food, and we’re with the farmers on the concerns they have of the government’s desire to implement inheritance tax onto family farms and the devastation it could have.”

He said he feared the tax could also directly affect the racing industry.

He said farms had needed to diversify to find new ways of making money, which had included setting up equestrian centres, stabling and breeding facilities.

Mr Hunter added that visitors to the National Hunt race meeting had been widely supportive of the tractor turnout.

He added it was the first time in his 28-year career that a course meeting had been broadcast on terrestrial TV and he hoped it would help publicise the cause.