Farmer who tried to stop theft of Land Rover dies in 'callous attack'

Police said that Michael Boffey, from Burton Hastings in Warwickshire, was a victim of a "callous attack" when "going about his normal business".

Despite attempts to resuscitate Mr Boffey, he died on his farm in Withybrook at 11am on Saturday. A post-mortem examination showed that the farmer died of head injuries.

The green Land Rover Defender was seen half an hour after the incident in a car park at St John the Baptist Church in Wolvey, two miles from where it was stolen. Police are appealing for witnesses after a silver car was reported to have been seen in the area on Saturday morning.

Speaking at a news conference in Rugby, Mr Boffey's eldest son, William, said that the family's grief was "beyond words".

Mr Boffey, 40, said of his father: "Farming to him was a dream come true. He loved it, it was his life. Every day was as exciting as the last for him. Now someone has robbed us of the man we loved dearly."

Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Goodall, who is leading the murder inquiry, said: "This is a tragic incident in which a member of the public going about his normal business has become the victim of a callous attack. We want to make the perpetrators aware of the full extent of what they've done."

Christine Russell, a worker on Mr Boffey's farm, said: "Our only wish now is to get the people who did this.''