UK farmers call for weedkiller ban over Parkinson’s fears

“Why hasn’t it been regulated and stopped?” she asks. “We’ve got a lot of people in the same situation.”

Paraquat was first manufactured in the UK in the early 1960s and is sold globally – 377 companies have registered it for sale.

It is one of the world’s most popular and effective herbicides, millions of farmers have used it to kill weeds. But it is also one of the most dangerous and has caused thousands of poisoning deaths.

Its manufacturer Syngenta says claims of a link between Paraquat and Parkinson’s are not supported by scientific evidence, stating it has undergone more than 1,200 safety studies.