Staff at a farm have been left "gobsmacked" with the positive public response after a driver called to complain about cows crossing a road at a busy time.

The man phoned the shop at Park Farm Ramsbottom on Tuesday to register his frustration about the timing of the crossing, which coincided with his morning commute.

Between April and October, cows from the farm are often guided across Manchester Road in Walmersley from 8.30am to 8.45am to graze in fields above the town after milking - a tradition which has happened for 60 years. 

Farmer Margaret Lees said: “He complained that the cows were going out in rush hour and he was trying to get to work but If it was a train coming across there would be nothing he could do about it!

“The driver rang the farm shop and complained to one of the ladies who serve on the till and she was quite upset about it because most people love the fact that they cross the road.”

The family-run farm, which also includes a tearoom, processes the milk from the herd themselves and sells it around Ramsbottom.

After posting about the incident on social media, Margaret has been overwhelmed with support from the community and others enquiring how they can watch the cows crossing for themselves.

She said: “I am gobsmacked with the positive response.

“I’ve had a lot of enquiries from people since the post who want to bring their children down to see the cows crossing the road.

“Dairy farms are a dying breed really. A traditional old-fashioned dairy farm is something that I think we’ve got to take pride in and it’s something that we work hard to keep.

“There are lots of farmers who have gone out of business due to supermarkets taking the cream of the crop, so the cows crossing is a lovely thing to see.

“We’re as local as it gets. We want to continue farming and with the support shown from the community in Ramsbottom, hopefully we will be able to continue to do it for a long time.”