Visitors to Redcar beach saw some unexpected sunbathers when several farmers arrived with some of their cattle. The idea was dreamt up by a group of local farmers who’d joined forces to raise public awareness that dairy farmers are facing a bleak future as the profit margin in producing milk is squeezed ever tighter.
Andrea Chapman, who farms near Stokesley, took along several animals so that members of the public could get up close and personal with them and learn more about dairy farming.
Speaking to The Northern Echo newspaper, Andrea said: "We just wanted to speak to people and see if they realised the real cost of producing milk. We need to charge 35p a litre to cover our costs but some people are being forced to sell theirs for 20p a litre - if that goes on there will be no future for dairy farmers.
"Most people we spoke to today said they would be happy to pay a little bit more for their milk if it meant people didn't go out of business."