A DRIVE to improve farm safety has been started following the deaths of 44 children in the last decade. None of the deaths was in North or East Yorkshire.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) report claims all of the fatalities could have been avoided. Many of the deaths had occurred when children were left alone and around half of all fatalities were among children under five.

The HSE's Keep Children Safe on the Farm report said boys were at greatest risk because they were more likely to wander around their farms with friends.

The report said the most common causes of death and injury were being struck by moving vehicles or objects, drowning, asphyxiation, falling from heights, contact with machinery and fire. HSE officials aim to cut the death tally to zero with the help of a new advertising campaign.

Updated: 09:32 Thursday, June 21, 2001