Police probe is launched after farmer's field is damaged by crop circle hoaxers
Vandals using planks of wood, rope and GPS technology went to the rural location to create the geometric pattern of a giant spider in a crop field.
The crop circle, which some people believe is the work of extra terrestrial beings, was discovered today in a field near the village of Cerne Abbas, Dorset.
PC Kate Schofield, of Dorset Police's Rural Crime Team, said: 'This act of criminal damage has had a significant financial impact on the farmer.
'I would ask anyone who may have information about the damage caused to please come forward and contact Dorset Police.'
Members of the public took to social media to comment on the impressive design of the crop circle, with some speculating it must have been the work of extra-terrestrials.
However, one concerned local raised a point that the design could cause a huge headache for the farmer involved
They wrote: 'Yes it is a beautiful piece of artwork, but it has not just flattened the crop, which could in most circumstances be salvaged, but this has been cut and scoured down to the chalk thus removing all possibility of restoring the crop, and possibly damaging the topsoil.
'It will have to be replaced and allowed to settle before that patch can be sown with a crop again, and that could take years.'
The village is familiar with extravagant patterns in the hills, as the 180ft Cerne Abbas attracts visitors from all over the country and is one of Dorset's best-known landmarks.
Crop circles are large, unexplained formations that appear, typically in the middle of the night, in fields with tall grass or fresh crops like wheat or corn.
While many suspect the massive designs are the work of artists or pranksters, UFO conspiracy theorists have maintained that crop circles are made by extraterrestrials who are leaving cryptic messages for humans.
However, it's been proven that many are man-made, using tools like planks to push down and flatten crops as a mean to spark fears or artistic expression.
The geometric patterns range in size from a few inches to hundreds of feet across and have been as large as 200,000sq ft.
Stalks are bent down around an inch above the ground before the plants are laid in precise patterns.
But some people truly believe the crop circles are the work of aliens as they can range between 50 and 1,000 feet in length but apparently take only minutes to create in the dark of night.
Although these strange patterns have been discovered in dozens of countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan, crop circles have been most commonly found in the UK.
Moreover, roughly 80 percent of all UK crop circles have been reported in Wiltshire. Since 2005, there have been more than 380 crop circles recorded in this area alone.
The formations are typically found in crop fields and their appearance often coincides with the growing season, when crops are mature enough to show visible patterns but haven't been harvested yet.
The formations are typically found in crop fields and their appearance often coincides with the growing season, when crops are mature enough to show visible patterns but haven't been harvested yet.
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