New statistics from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have been able to reveal that the number of people terminally injured in the agricultural sector has seen an increase.

Between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010, 38 farm workers were killed, which resulted in an average rate of 8.2 for each 100,000 people.

This made agriculture the most risky sector to work in and depicted a marked boost from the 2008-09 low of 25 deaths.

As many as 17 of those killed were workers while seven members of the public also fell victim to agricultural accidents.

HSE Head of Agriculture, Graeme Walker said that farming has a deprived safety proof, a tendency which should not be permitted to continue further.

The organisation's Chair, Judith Hackitt added: that it is time for British agriculture industry to keep their eyes wide open and start bringing in some positive changes so as to bring the enormous toll of death and injury that occurs year on year bring down.

This follows a latest HSE safety word of warning for farmers following a series of accidents involving telescopic handlers.

Two people had been killed in an incident that involved the misuse of tele-handlers in Yorkshire in September 2009.