A farmer was trampled to death when he climbed into a pen housing 17 uncastrated bulls, an inquest jury heard today.

Oliver Bowden, 56, who was described as “the heart and soul of the Hambleden Valley”, suffered fatal multiple injuries, including crushing to the chest and abdomen.

An inquest jury at Beaconsfield heard that Mr Bowden, whose family had farmed the land at Mill End Farm since the 1930s, died in the afternoon of 5 May last year.

The father of four, who had two grandchildren, was found in the pen by colleague Samuel Beer.

He was injured himself as he bravely fought off a bull as he tried to help Mr Bowden.

In a statement, Mr Beer said he saw a bucket in the bull pen and wondered why it was there. He went on: “I jumped into the bull pen and as I walked towards the bucket I saw in a corner a shoe. I immediately panicked as the shoe should not have been there.

“I ran to the corner and I saw Oliver lying on the floor. He had blood all over his face and head. I couldn’t tell how bad his injuries were, but he wasn’t moving at all.

“I tried to find his pulse and I shouted for help. At this point a bull started to attack me. A bull struck me in the side. I am not sure how many times due to the panic.

“I called 999 at nineteen minutes past three and asked for an ambulance. While I was on the phone I kept trying to find Oliver’s pulse. I must have tried four or five times.

“As I was doing this I was attacked by a bull as I was standing over Oliver to protect him.

“I picked up a stick to hit the bull with it to try to get it to leave me alone as I tried to help Oliver.”

Mr Beer said he had no idea how long his boss had been lying in the pen. He said he had no idea which bulls had attacked Oliver or him. He was treated at Wexham Park hospital for his injuries.

An air ambulance arrived on the 1500-acre farm, but Mr Bowden was pronounced dead at eleven minutes to four in the afternoon.

Buckinghamshire Senior Coroner Crispin Butler praised Mr Beer’s “commendable actions in trying to help Oliver, but putting himself at risk”.

The coroner said: “The incident was not seen by anyone.”

He said there was no evidence as to how long he had been in the pen or when he was fatally injured.

The inquest heard that Mr Bowden would always ask for a second person to feed or help bed up the bulls, other than when the animals were small and easy to control.

In a report, Health and Safety Inspector Neil Ward said Mr Bowden was known to tell employees not to enter the bull pen by themselves.

One person would use a feeder to trap the bulls at one end of the pen, while the other person did the feeding or bedding.

Footmarks on a gate at the back of the bull shed showing that someone had climbed over a gate to a small shed behind the pen.

Mr Ward said: “After eight months, bulls are known to be more boisterous and aggressive than castrated animals. At no time should it be necessary to enter a pen of bulls to carry out any work.”

The day after the death, the uncastrated 17 bulls - which were a mixture of beef and dairy cross breeds - were taken to an abattoir. His family said they would no longer raise bulls for beef on the farm.

The jury concluded that he died through misadventure.

At Mr Bowden’s funeral, hundreds watched a 45-tractor procession in his honour following the funeral cortège.

In a statement at the time of his death, his family said: “He will always be remembered for his head-turning roar of laughter, constant banter and leg-pulling and his big rosy cheeks.

“He was an irreplaceable character and adored by all who came across him. Many who knew him have said he was the heart and soul of the Hambleden valley, the farming community and also our family."