Workers at vegetable farm went to Primark and three supermarkets just days before 73 tested positive

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Two runaway workers have been traced after vanishing from a Covid-hit vegetable farm in Herefordshire.

One of the men was a picker who had tested positive for the virus before fleeing from Rook Row Farm.

He and a second worker have been told to self isolate as police and health officials are trying to trace a third man.

A spokesman for Public Health Midlands confirmed two people were now self isolating after leaving the farm near the village of Mathon.

It comes after it emerged workers at the farm went shopping to Primark and three supermarkets just days before 73 staff tested positive for the virus.

Infected farmhands from AS Green and Co on Rock Row Farm in Mathon may have spread the deadly bug after going on the trip last week.

North Herefordshire MP Bill Wiggin confirmed members of the group were taken by minibus to Worcester where they shopped in the city’s Primark.

They also went to an Iceland shop and the Romanian store in the city before being driven to a Morrisons supermarket in nearby Malvern.

Mr Wiggin said: ‘Worcestershire County Council have been informed that a minibus took workers to shop in four separate locations in Worcester and Malvern last week.

‘The shops and locations are Worcester’s Primark, Iceland and the Romanian store, and Malvern’s Morrison’s supermarket.

‘Herefordshire remains well prepared for outbreaks like this and the response so far has been exemplary.

‘I wish to thank the people of North Herefordshire for their calm and resilient approach to this situation.

‘In particular, I wish to bring attention to those people who have come together to deliver essential supplies to the affected farm workers.

‘It is a tremendous testament to the kindness and good will of the people of North Herefordshire.’ 

A hunt was yesterday launched for a group of the vegetable pickers – one who tested positive for Covid-19 – after they escaped from the farm.

Around 200 workers are being forced to isolate in mobile homes on the site in Herefordshire.

Up to four vegetable pickers are believed to have fled police-guarded A S Green And Co, where 73 people working and living on the site in trailers have the bug.

They are believed to have run across fields near Rook Row Farm, which supplies a number of major supermarkets.

A flustered member of staff at the farm last night admitted: ‘We have absolutely no idea where they are and it is very worrying!’

The office worker told MailOnline: ‘Up to four workers are unaccounted for, we have absolutely no idea where they are and it is very worrying!’

Local villager Karen Marsden, 36, said: ‘It is rather alarming that a few of the pickers who may be carrying the disease have disappeared.

‘They could be anywhere. How they got away when police are patrolling the premises beats me but they no doubt have run across the vast fields at the back.

‘I hope they are found soon. We were told the whole farm has gone in to lockdown after a coronavirus outbreak and all the veg pickers and other workers have been ordered to go into self-isolation in their mobile homes onsite.’

West Mercia Police confirmed three workers left the site, one of whom tested positive for the coronavirus.

A spokesman for the force said officers were working with Public Health England and the local council to track down the workers. 

The Eastern European farmhands shared a single toilet at the site, according to a British couple who worked there.

The plastic portable toilet, with just one sanitiser dispenser, was ferried to a field each day where migrant vegetable pickers were working.

The toilet was shared between up to 60 pickers working in hot and sticky conditions for eight hours.

Brandon Burridge, 22, said: ‘It was pretty horrible, especially as the day went on.

‘We were told to ring the office if it got bad but most of the time it was just left there for people to use.

‘Obviously I and the other men used the hedge but the women had to use the toilet, it wasn’t great.’

Mr Burridge and his girlfriend Leah Johnson, 21, picked broad beans during the three shifts they worked together at the farm in June and July.

The couple stayed with family locally after their request for accommodation was turned down.

Mr Burridge said: ‘I assume they reserve that for people from Eastern Europe who they bring in. We we’re probably lucky that we didn’t stay.’

The couple from Worcester worked in fields alongside Bulgarians, Romanians and Ukrainians who arrived shortly after the lockdown.

Mr Burridge and Ms Johnson were due to set up glamping areas at music festivals all over Europe this summer.

But when the events were cancelled they turned to picking fruit and vegetables for an income.

The couple are angry at that Rook Row Farm failed to tell them about the coronavirus outbreak – they only discovered they were at risk after reading media reports.

The pair organised their own Covid-19 tests and both came back negative on Tuesday.

Mr Burridge said: ‘I have our contact details but they haven’t been in touch to tell us we are risk.

He said: ‘As an employer it is their duty to let us know, they have been quite poor in communicating to us about the virus at the farm.’

Residents agreed with Mr Burridge, with Richard Thomas, 71, a retired chemical company CEO, saying: ‘We know absolutely nothing about what happened on Sunday.

‘We are disappointed haven’t heard from anybody officially. We are 200m from the gates and have got everything we know from the media.

‘Nobody has had the common courtesy to knock on our door and tell us what’s going on. We haven’t been offered tests. Should we be tested?

‘Apparently it is airborne and we are hundreds of metres from the mobile homes. There are two houses right opposite the gates and they haven’t heard anything either.

‘It is a little hamlet of 13 homes and seven of those are in the vulnerable bracket through age or through illness.

‘One guy up the road has one lung and another was ill with coronavirus and got particularly poorly.

‘It is just really really disconcerting nobody has bothered to let us know officially. A lady from Public Health Hereford said on the news there was not a problem.

‘That’s really nice to know when you are 200m. That’s fantastic news. People were interviewed on the news in another village a mile and a half away.’

He added: ‘They have grown the business substantially. We are friends with them and have been over there for parties. I used to run his daughter over to various pony clubs.

‘I know he’s been busy, but even he didn’t phone anyone to say he has got a problem. It is incredibly discourteous.’                 

Authorities have reportedly been offering the isolating workers – most from Eastern Europe – beer and cigarettes to prevent another break out attempt.

Two of the escapees, one who had the virus, reportedly left on Saturday, while the other two, who also tested positive, fled yesterday, a source told the Sun.

The first case was reported on the farm on Wednesday and another five tested positive the day after, the source added.

By the time it was locked down, the farm, run by Andrew Green with the help of his son Tom and wife Caroline, had 72 cases, but it is understood to have risen to 73.

In an attempt to keep workers from fleeing, local authorities are said to be keeping their passports ‘secure’ and offering ‘beer and cigarettes’.

The workers are employed to carry out picking and packing work at the site while living in mobile homes.

Police wearing protective face masks are currently guarding the exits of the farm and Herefordshire Council has organised the supply of deliveries.

Workers have been told they are not be permitted to leave the site but are receiving the required support – with officials treating the group as ‘one extended bubble’.

Herefordshire Commander, Superintendent Sue Thomas said: ‘Within the constraints of the current legislation, we continue to support our partners in Public Health England and Herefordshire County Council as they work with the farm owner and those working there to keep them all safe and to provide reassurance to the local community.

‘In relation to an individual who has left the site after testing positive with the virus, we are assisting our colleagues at Public Health England, as required, in order to trace them.’

Meanwhile, visitors and management team members have been tested for the bug and the company confirmed all results to date outside of their site have been negative.

The firm has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to the virus.

These include supporting testing, promoting social distancing in communal social areas and the indoor packaging areas.

They are providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular hand washing for 20 seconds and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas.

The farm supplies vegetables to major supermarket chains, such as Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda and M&S.

Trade body the British Retail Consortium last night reiterated advice from PHE that it is ‘very unlikely’ that the virus can be transmitted through food.   

Andrew Opie, Director of Food and Sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, said: ‘Retailers are well versed in managing potential disruptions to prevent any impact on consumers.

‘This outbreak involves one farm in a very large supply chain, so retailers are confident that there will be no interruption to supply.

‘The farm in question is being supported by Public Health England, which has advised that it is very unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through food or packaging.’

During the harvest season, workers live onsite in shared mobile homes which have toilets, showers and kitchen facilities.

As a precaution the whole group are being treated as ‘one extended bubble’, according to officials.

Herefordshire Council is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site while they self-isolate. 

It comes after farmers appealed for people to take up paid roles on local farms to stop food being left to rot in the fields as part of the Feed The Nation campaign. 

Owner of A S Green And Co, Mr Green, was looking for 100 pickers and 60 packers to join their family team at the end of April, the Hereford Times reported.  

In a previous statement posted on its website, the company said: ‘We confirm that we are working closely with, Public Health England and the Public Health team at Herefordshire Council to support a number of our workers that have tested positive for COVID-19. 

‘As a precautionary measure we have arranged for testing of additional key workers including management team members and visitors connected with A S Green and can confirm all results to date outside of our site have been returned with negative results. To date there are 73 positive cases on our site.

‘Our site is currently closed for all visitors and with the assistance of the various bodies no workers are being permitted to leave our site and are receiving the required support at our site.

‘Our work force and local community are our priority at this difficult time and we continue to follow the guidance of the relevant bodies to ensure that the spread of the virus is controlled and our workforce is supported.

‘Public Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging, so shoppers can remain confident buying British fruit and veg.

‘Thank you for your understanding in these difficult times.’

Katie Spence, PHE Midlands Health Protection Director, said: ‘We are working closely with the management at AS Green and Co to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce and wider public health.

‘At this phase of the pandemic, we still expect to see cases in the community and within settings where people are closer together, such as workplaces, which is why the Test and Trace system is important, to help us pick up on any potential problems and swiftly to take remedial action to reduce spread.

‘To support this workforce of around 200 key workers, the company has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to COVID-19. 

‘Measures include supporting testing on site, promoting social distancing in communal social areas and in the indoor packaging area; providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular handwashing for at least 20 seconds, and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas.’

‘Despite these measures, a small number of workers became symptomatic earlier this week and they and a few close contacts among the workforce were tested initially and found to be positive. 

‘In line with NHS guidance, affected individuals were asked to self-isolate for 7 days, with their households and close contacts asked to isolate for 14 days.’

‘As we have seen a global trend of large food producers being subject to outbreaks, as a precautionary measure, the decision was made to test the entire workforce. 

‘The initial batch of results showed a significant percentage of positive cases, despite these individuals being asymptomatic. 

‘We are still awaiting a few final results, but currently we have 73 positive cases of COVID-19 among the workforce.’

‘PHE Midlands and Herefordshire Council are therefore working with AS Green and Co to closely monitor and manage the outbreak and support individual workers.’  

A spokesperson for AS Green said: ‘Our staff are our priority, they are hard-working key workers helping us provide food for the country during these unusual times. 

‘We contacted PHE and we are working closely with them and Public Health at Herefordshire Council to prevent the spread of COVID-19.’ 

Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire, said: ‘While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected. 

‘Our priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of all residents in our community. Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection. 

‘We continue to support the farm management, their workers – who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time. 

‘Anyone who has a fever, persistent dry cough, or loss or change in their sense of taste or smell should call 119 or go online to arrange a test.’ 

Herefordshire have had 809 confirmed cases of the virus, with a rate of 421.1 (per 100,000 resident population), according to the Government’s daily statistics.

In April Andrew Green, owner of AS Green and Co, told the Hereford Times: ‘The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in soaring demand for fresh produce, but with tighter border controls and travel restrictions in place, many UK farmers have been left with a labour shortage, putting their produce at risk.’

He added: ‘Not only does the role provide the opportunity to work in a safe, healthy environment throughout the summer months, but it also enables those who have been financially impacted by the pandemic to boost their income, without jeopardising the support they will receive through the Government furlough scheme.’

Following the Pick for Britain campaign – an initiative to bring together UK workers and farmers together to prevent crops rotting in the ground during the pandemic – the farm said it had received more than 300 applications.

On the firm’s website, it says workers are expected to share accommodation at Rook Row Farm, while there is a recreational building with a pool table, dart board and TV for all employees.

A spokeswoman for the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said: ‘The industry takes this issue incredibly seriously and everything is being done to keep workers safe; their health and safety remains the priority.

‘Across the sector there have been significant investments this season; from the use of additional safety equipment and PPE, regularly testing temperatures, and following government guidance created specifically for seasonal workers.’

Karen Wright, director of public health for Herefordshire, urged anyone experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19 to arrange a test.

‘While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected,’ she said in a statement.

‘Our priority is to protect the health and well-being of all residents in our community.

‘Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection.

‘We continue to support the farm management, their workers – who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time.’

The outbreak comes after lockdown was extended for at least two weeks in Leicester, east midlands, after a surge in coronavirus cases. 

Number 10’s scientific advisers revealed on July 10 that the UK’s R rate is between 0.7 and 0.9. 

The R rate represents the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects and SAGE admitted it could be one or higher in London, the Midlands, the North East and Yorkshire, the South East and the South West.  

A S Green And Co specialise in growing runner beans, Tenderstem broccoli, broad beans and helda beans.