Claimed as a world's first, a team based at Harper Adams University, have successfully completed the cycle of cultivating, planting and harvesting crops remotely, without human intervention in the field - using the harvested crops to produce gin and pizzas.

Chris Biddle is in conversation with one of the team leaders, Kit Franklin of Hands Free Hectare, now expanded to Hands Free Farm about the challenges they faced in the past, and this year when floods and pandemic impacted upon their plans.

Kit is adamant that whilst many robot machines are in development, a great number look like 'sci-fi' blobs' which is why the team adapted tractors and machinery that potential users recognise and trust.

The expanded project, will embrace five fields with all the usual obstacles, trees, fences, gates etc and cover 35 hectares (almost 90 acres)

Hands Free Farm