By Tim Binnall
A British farmer was understandably dismayed that his property was chosen as the proverbial canvas for the latest crop circle. Found early last week in the county of Wiltshire, the fourth formation of the season garnered rave reviews from researchers and fans of the phenomenon for its rather elaborate design. That said, not everyone was thrilled with the newly discovered crop circle as the unnamed property owner reportedly decried the "criminal damage" that cost him "hundreds of pounds."
Hoping to prevent further losses from people carelessly traipsing through the field to see the formation, the farmer promptly mowed over the design and effectively erased it a few days after it was discovered. The landowner's irritation was echoed by Peter Shallcross, Chair of the National Farmers Union in Wiltshire, who described the phenomenon as "troublesome" to the BBC. "It's very difficult to harvest a crop when it's on the ground," he explained, "it won't mature properly."
In recent years, consternation over crop circles has become as much a part of the annual season as the formations themselves, with authorities issuing warnings to the public about illegally making the designs in 2017, 2024, and again last year. Farmers have also made headlines by rightfully complaining about the costly creations to the media. Nonetheless, much to the chagrin of police and property owners, the formations continue to be found year after year, with those responsible for the crop circles, be they human or alien, managing to avoid being caught.