23/02/2026 England deer management plan, putting venison on more plates, Northern Ireland farm safety.

The government's announced a new 10 year plan for controlling deer numbers in England. It estimates that a third of woodlands are damaged by deer and says immediate action is needed to protect trees and crops.

A project in the Ashdown Forest aims to persuade more people to eat venison. Deer managers are working with the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, and with apprentice butchers at Plumpton College.

BBC News NI has obtained figures showing there have been over 150 farm related accidents in Northern Ireland between 2019-2025. We hear from a musician whose career was jeopardised by a machinery accident on the family farm.

Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling