PARENTS who tragically lost their 20-year-old son following a farming accident thanked the community for their support.

Billy Rudge died in February at the family farm in Sellack, near Ross-on-Wye, after becoming trapped under farm machinery.

His parents, Chris and Jen Rudge, arranged a speed shearing contest in August at their farm, which raised more than £10,000.

They have donated £2,000 to Midlands Air Ambulance who attended the accident, £500 each to Pontrilas and Welsh Newton Young Farmers who helped arrange the contest, and £1,000 each to Jamie Bevan and Chris Rowberry, to support them on a trip to a New Zealand farm to learn new skills in sheep shearing.

Mr Rudge said: "We are very proud- it has been about doing something positive rather than digging a hole.

"To both of us- Billy was our everything- our comedian, our ploughman, our shepherd, our shearer. He was everything to us and a big loss. What do you do to turn it around?

"We wanted to do something positive and it has lifted everyone, even our community. Everyone didn't know what to say to us. Everyone goes down when you lose someone like Billy. It has helped a lot of people."

They want to keep it going by sponsoring more youngsters to go out to New Zealand and develop their sheep shearing skills.

Mr Rudge said they formed a "kitchen table committee" with Steve Meredith, Jim Bevan, Cheryl Williams and Frank Lloyd to arrange the event.

Mr Rowberry, 25, and Mr Bevan, 22, both farmers from Herefordshire, will leave for New Zealand on Monday. The money will cover their costs for two months.

Mr and Mrs Rudge have five other children- Megan, 31, Edward, 28, Penny, 22, Toby, 17 and Phoebe, 15.

Mr Rudge said: "It affects us all and it is a question of how do you cope with that? Billy was our farming boy for the future.

"We want to say thank you for the support we have had from the community and from the young farmers for helping us set the speed shearing up.

"The whole thing is to promote Billy's love of shearing and shepherding."